Set Effective Goals

I'm "one of those" people who think positive thought can create positive outcomes. I also believe in positive action, just in case thought alone isn't enough. I imagine it's like growing a garden. I can wake up and think about flowers growing, their colorful faces turning to the sun, but unless I plant the seeds - I'll harvest only weeds.

"A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow."-George Patton

Over the years I've read several books which emphasize the importance of setting effective goals. According to these tomes of excellence, the "RIGHT" goals are those that are positively stated, measurable and time constrained. I agree, but I also have to say the "RIGHT" goals are those that are right for me.

I have long term goals
To be debt free at age 50
To be healthy and fit
To publish one novel each year
Which are supported by my short term goals
To pay off debt
To exercise regularly
To write every day

It is the action I take today that determines whether or not I'll arrive at either destination.
Take a look at your daily habits and decide if they support your long term goals. If you want to retire at age 50, you need to spend less than you earn TODAY. If you want to be healthy and fit, you need to quit smoking TODAY. Dreaming of a positive future is not sufficient. To guarantee a positive future you must take positive action.

This brings me to the right goals for me. I set a goal each month to do one thing, to change one habit, which will get me closer to my ultimate goals. I've found that taking on too much at once is a recipe for failure, so rather than having a list of resolutions for the new year, I have one resolution for the month.

January - Write 60 minutes every day
February - Walk for 30 minutes 5 times a week
March - Practice kindness each day

It's easy to focus on doing one thing differently. After 30 days I no longer have to think about my new habits, because they're part of my routine.

You are only limited by your beliefs. If you believe you can write a novel, you certainly can, but that doesn't mean you can eliminate setbacks or disappoints along the way. Rather than avoiding setbacks, consider each experience an experiment in success. Only through the process of elimination can you find strategies that work.

If you're struggling to achieve your goals, consider this approach.

"The Universe is responding to you in your NOW. So whatever you're feeling right NOW means that is what you are sending out vibrationally right NOW, which means that is what you are attracting to yourself right NOW, which means your future is FULL of a bunch of stuff that is gonna feel pretty much like right NOW feels." Abraham-Hicks

More Tips for Writers
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Writers - Plan for Your Success

Freelance Writers

Everywhere you look these days, the news is dire –
President Bush signed a bill to bailout failing banks to the tune of $700 billion.
Wall Street had a staggering blow on Monday (Sept 29) when the market dropped 778 points, the greatest one day fall in history.
Families are losing their homes and many predict jobs will follow.

But I do have some good news. Freelancing is a wonderful opportunity to generate income, independently. You don’t need to be a victim to the whims of corporate America or Wall Street.

There are freelance workers in various fields. As a freelancer you are self employed, paid per job rather than hourly or salary. Companies that downsize during difficult times still need work done. Hiring an independent contractor (freelancer) to complete a job will generally cost less than employing a worker due to overhead expenses such as: healthcare, paid time off, Social Security taxes, equipment, utilities and work space. As a freelance worker, you can earn more per job because of the considerable cost savings the company enjoys. Of course it is then up to you to pay for your own healthcare, equipment, utilities and work space.

Hiring freelance workers is also appealing to start up businesses that don’t have the capital to hire and house many employees.

Take a moment to assess your strengths and experience. How could you capitalize on these qualities? For me, the answer was clear.

I have always loved to read, which grew into a love of writing. Ideally I’d sell my novel, become an overnight sensation and earn piles of cash. Unfortunately that hasn’t happened (Yet!) so while I’m waiting, I’ve found other markets for my writing.

There are literally millions of outlets for freelance writers; news publications, magazines, ezines, web sites, newsletters, ebooks, grant proposals, and more. Depending on your interests, experiences and skills you could earn a very lucrative income, even when the rest of the world is in financial chaos.

The best time to start is now.

1) Create a blog or website where you can feature your work. Fortunately you don’t need to be a technical whiz kid to accomplish this. There are several blogging communities where you can set up a blog for free, such as: Wordpress or Blogster. You don’t have to know any programming language to set these up, just point and click. Squidoo, Hub Pages and Peoplefuel are also free sites where you can post articles, plus they have revenue sharing for ads displayed. This can add up to dollars a day, so it’s definitely worth considering.

2) Focus on a topic of interest, one in which you have prior experience or a desire to learn about it. Here are just a few examples: Remodeling your home, training a pet, overcoming shyness, collecting baseball cards. No matter what topic you choose to write about make sure you’re passionate about it. It is much more difficult to write about a topic you have no interest in.

3) Commit to writing an article each day. These articles will showcase your style to prospective clients. I mentioned several free resources for posting articles, and you’ll want to take advantage of a few of them. If you post in multiple locations you benefit in two ways:
1) Creating back links to your primary site
2) Reaching new audiences.

4) Join forums for writers and participate in the dialogue. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Writers, in my experience, are open and willing to mentor those who ask for help.

5) Search job boards and bid on work when you’re just starting out. The rates are usually low, but you can fill out your portfolio and gain confidence.

6) Once you’ve established yourself as a freelance writer, market directly to businesses. You have to think of your writing as a business. Every successful business must know their customers’ needs and fulfill those needs. You’ll probably spend 80% of your day marketing. This includes networking with business owners and/or employees, building relationships and asking for business and referrals. Create a habit of marketing by sending out at least 3 marketing queries a day, whether via email, a cold call, a postcard, etc.


Freelance writing is rewarding work, but it is work. It requires dedication, time and energy to be successful.


How to Write Articles