1. TARGET. You can't hit a target you can't see. You can't accomplish wonderful things with your career if you have no idea of what they are. You must decide exactly what "success" means to you. Project forward in thought and imagine your ideal in your writing career. What combination of ingredients would have to exist for you to be perfectly happy? When you determine what that target is, are you willing to pay the price to get there? Are you willing to pull the trigger? Don't tell me you want to be the next Nora Roberts if you're not willing to write every day, 10 hours per day, seven days per week, with no days off and no vacation. Find a target you're not only willing to aim at, but also willing to shoot for.
2. DESIRE. Intense burning desire. This is the motivational force that enables you to overcome the fear and inertia that holds some people back. You must have that "fire in the belly" desire to spur you forward. If you are multi-published and are feeling a slump in your career, take note of your desire. Is it as intense as it was before you became published? Desire is personal. You can only want something for yourself . . . not because someone else wants it for you. You must be absolutely clear about what you want. Deciding what you want is the start of all great achievement.
3. BELIEF. You must absolutely believe that is possible for you to achieve your goal. You must believe that you are worthy of that goal. You must believe that your goal is attainable. Make sure your goals are realistic.
4. WRITE IT DOWN. Goals that are not in writing are not goals at all. They are wishes. A wish is a goal with no energy behind it. When you write a goal down on paper, you crystallize it. You make it something concrete and tangible. You have taken it out of your imagination and put it into a form that you can do something with.
5. MAKE A LIST. Write down all the ways that you will benefit from achieving your goals. Just as goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement, reasons why are the forces that intensify your desire and drive you forward. Your motivation depends upon your motive. If your reasons are big enough, your belief solid enough and your desire intense enough, nothing can stop you.
6. ANALYZE YOUR STARTING POINT. Determining your starting point gives you a base line to measure your progress. For the unpublished, that may mean how many pages are you starting with. For the published may mean anything from how much is your first advance to what was your print run or sell thru. The clearer you are about where you're coming from and where you're going, the more likely it is that you will end up where you want to be.
7. SET A DEADLINE. Set deadlines on all tangible, measurable goals. Don't leave your deadline vague. If you don't make the deadline, set another deadline.
8. MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE OBSTACLES. Wherever great success is possible, great obstacles exist. Organize the obstacles in order of importance. What is the biggest obstacle that stands between you and your goal? This will be your main focus to get over this obstacle. What will you have to do to get beyond it? Where will you have to grow?
9. IDENTIFY THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT YOU WILL NEED TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL. We live in a knowledge--based society. Identify where you can get it. Being a member of a RWA chapter is a great start.
10. MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHOSE HELP AND COOPERATION YOU'LL REQUIRE. Family, boss, friends. To accomplish anything worthwhile, you'll need the help of many people. Take the list and organize it in order of priority. Remember that people will be willing to help you achieve your goals only when you have demonstrated a willingness to help them achieve their goals. If you are unpublished and are seeking the help of a published author, go to their book signing. Buy their book. Read it.
11. MAKE A PLAN. Write out in detail what you want, when you want it, and where you are starting. Make a list of activities organized by time and priority. When you have a plan of action, get started.
12. VISUALIZE YOUR GOAL, AS IF IT WERE ALREADY ACHIEVED. When you intensely desire something, when you are excited and enthusiastic about your goal, you accomplish it much more quickly. Increasing the amount of emotion with which you accompany your visualizations is like stepping on the accelerator of your own potential.
13. MAKE THE DECISION THAT YOU WILL NEVER GIVE UP. Back up your goals and plans with persistence and determination. Never consider the possibility of failure. Never think about quitting. Decide to hold on no matter what happens. As long as you refuse to never quit, you must eventually be successful.
Merrily Mann is a past president of San Antonio Romance Authors. She has been involved in the publishing industry by being a publicist for a number of authors worldwide. As Account Manager for Power Promotions, she specializes in book and author promotion. Merrily also has launched her own business, Promotions Unlimited, which specializes in Web hosting and design, and Internet marketing. You can find Merrily at her web site Promotions Unlimited or at Power Promotions.
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