I originally wanted to publish my debut novel in 2019. That didn't happen and when it didn't, I beat myself up about it. But it was my first book and I had no idea how long things took or even how it would take me personally to go through it all. When I didn't meet my goal, instead of working harder and making a new goal, I didn't touch the project for a few months. I did eventually pick that project up again and finally got it published.
This year, I'm trying to learn my lesson and be more lenient with my goals. I'm looking at it more as something to work towards and attempt. Maybe that's how you look at goals, but that's not how I saw things two years ago. My goal for 2021 is to publish my second novel. Is it possible? Yes. Will it definitely happen? No. But I'm going to do my best.
Some people break things down month by month to figure out what needs to be done by when. I don't work like that. Things come up to throw the timeline off and I don't know how to build that into my timeline. I only make goals one or two months in advance. Right now, my goal is to get my book to beta readers. And I'll take it from there. Having gone through this process already, I know what needs to be done and I have a better idea of how long it takes for each step. For example, having a book professionally edited takes a month. A round of beta reading takes about that long too.
I have made two other goals for this year: Getting more reviews on Amazon of my debut novel, and being more mindful of what I eat so I'll feel better mentally. What are some goals you've made for this year?