Let's Talk Creative Goals

Hello, my friends~

What have you done this year?

As we approach the second half of 2025, it feels like the perfect time to assess, and indeed, the internet is filled with people writing and talking about mid-year resets. But at this moment, I am less interested in ramping up new goals than I am in taking a moment to appreciate how far we’ve come.

Photo by Copper and Wild on Unsplash

It’s easy to look back at new year’s resolutions and bemoan how many have fallen by the wayside. You haven’t been to the gym since February, you gained four pounds instead of losing ten, the garage is still crowded with old crap, and your novel languishes unfinished. But beating yourself up motivates exactly no one. Sure, you might guilt yourself into going for a run or clearing off that catch-all chair in the corner of your bedroom, but your previous habits will take over in a week or so, and everything will return to status quo.

And you know what? That’s okay. Because I am willing to bet in your busy life that you can find all sorts of things you did accomplish. And the year’s not over yet.

Take a moment to consider what has been happening in your life since January 1st.

Me? I sold my mom’s condo, cleaned it out, and sold a bunch of her furniture and art. I put a ton of stuff in storage. I drove across the country. I read some manuscripts and reopened to submissions. I have finally—FINALLY—managed to get back to a daily writing habit of my own, and this newsletter is benefitting from that restored habit.

Now, there are a ton of other things on my to-do list, from day-to-day tasks to pretty important must-dos and aspirational goals. I’ve a huge creative project I have not touched yet. My website still lingers in a state of limbo. And let’s not even mention my social media presence. But right now, the day-to-day swallows my time. Emails and manuscripts, calls to editors, keeping on top of the new influx of queries. And I’m okay with that, because I’ve put some new habits in place that will—eventually—allow me to slip in progress on some of those lingering goals.

Take a few minutes this week to think about where you are and how you got here. Consider how much time you spent on your day job, or maybe put in applying for a new one, since the start of January. How many hours did you devote to loved ones, to carpools and cooking, to activism and volunteering and being a shoulder to cry on? Go through your planner or calendar and count meetings and appointments. Really see where your time has gone, and give yourself a little appreciation for everything you cram into your days.

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

Now go ahead and peek at your goals for the year. Did you spend time on any of them? How far did you move the needle? Whatever you accomplished, whatever work you put in, appreciate that bit of progress. If you’re not on track to finish your novel but you’ve written 10,000 words, celebrate that milestone. If you’re steaming ahead, knocking things off your list, three cheers for you and keep up that amazing work.

Resetting Your Creative Mojo

Don’t get angry or discouraged if your progress feels slow or nonexistent. Instead, really consider your goals and whether they are things you want. Sometimes the goals we set become obligations more than aspirations, because we’re motivated by what we feel we ought to do rather than what we want to do.

Separate your remaining goals into things you really want/are excited to do, things you actually need to do, and things that would be nice or maybe you think you should do to make other people happy. Keep the needs and wants, and throw out the rest. Life is too short to spend time on goals that don’t truly matter to you.

In fact, reconsider that perusal of your planner and think of the time you spent on tasks that fell into the wishy-washy category. How many hours did you lose because you said Yes to something when you should have said No? We all have them. What could you have done with that time if you used it for a goal that excites you?

Photo by Daniel Herron on Unsplash

Here’s the key to finding time to be creative. If you’re dreaming of writing or making films or sketching or taking dance classes, you have to make the time. Setting the goal isn’t enough. And trying for big, sweeping changes in your life will likely result in failure. But what you can do is make changes in your priorities and small adjustments accordingly.

Needs and your biggest wants come first. Of course you have to keep up with your responsibilities. Job, family, health. But start saying No to the things that are not a priority, or “good enough” where significant effort isn’t necessary, and fill that saved time with your dreams, with your biggest wants. You cannot make the day longer, but you can take control of what you do with it.

Pick Your Yes

When you think of the creative goals you set for the year, of the things you’ve yet to accomplish, what makes you saddest? What are you most sorry not to be working toward? There’s your project for the rest of the year. Just that one thing.

Next, distill that goal down to its smallest possible components. For instance, I had a number of writing-related goals for 2025, but I was not writing at all at the end of last year. For me, the key was to make time to sit down and write, but also to give myself permission to do it. My schedule was so busy, it was easy for me to reassign my writing time whenever something else came up. My subconscious labeled my personal goal as less important than any of the other tasks requiring my attention So, the first thing I had to do was convince myself I had a right to take that time.

I did this by making an actual appointment to write, which I put on my calendar. For accountability, I joined the London Writers’ Salon, and I sign into their daily Writers’ Hour for my time zone at 8am every weekday, to write silently over Zoom with all the other writers looking to show up to the page. That was what it took to convince my subconscious that my writing time matters.

Smallest Viable Action

Determine what the first step is for your goal, the smallest possible way to start the ball rolling, and then figure out how to work that into your day. Put it on your calendar. Attach it to some existing habit. Make it a priority.

Want to get an agent? Start with researching names. Make a list and see who is looking to rep books like what you write. Schedule an hour for research twice a week, or look up one agency and read about it every morning over your coffee.

Have an idea for a novel but no clue how to start? Schedule time to daydream about it. If you go for a walk or a run, leave the headphones at home and brainstorm instead. Think about it during your commute. Who are your characters? What do they want? As yourself “what if” regarding a situation. Start a notebook or file where you can dump bits and pieces of your idea as you work it out.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Looking to become a better writer? Read with a pen or pencil in hand, and make notes about what you admire in other people’s writing. Keep a tiny notebook and pen with your book or your reading device.

Want to read more? Take a book with you, wherever you go. Paper or digital, be prepared. DNF (did not finish) books you aren’t enjoying; nothing slows your reading more than trying to slog to the end of something you don’t like. Read at breakfast or lunch or bedtime, or all three. Substitute a book for scrolling on your phone. Get a library card and use it.

But most of all, look for what makes you excited about your particular creative goal and lean hard into that aspect of it. Allow yourself to feel the anticipation of success, sure, but focus more on the verb than the noun or the adjective. Write. Sing. Dance. Draw. Read. Play. Be.

Goals are destinations. Life is a journey. Figure out what matters most, point yourself in the appropriate direction, then do the thing. Sneak a little action into every day and the destination will take care of itself.

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I’d love to hear how you’re all doing with your creative goals for the year. What has you inspired? Where are you feeling frustrated? Do you have any go-to activities to help you reset your creative flow? Please share in the comments.

Thanks, as always, for hanging out with me here. I’m going to have some announcements in the next week, so be on the lookout for news of what is to come in the second half of 2025. In the meantime, I wish you all excellent creative time to chase your dreams. See you in the next one!🥰