When it's time to say "It's not working" and what to do

4/9/2018

At the beginning of the year, I made my yearly goals post. One of them was to write a drabble every day. I figured 100 words each day is doable. Of course, my brother's cancer had to ruin it a few weeks after I made the goal and I missed five days due to traveling to North Carolina, but I kept going. Since then, I have only missed two days.

The problem I finding now, though, is it's starting to feel like a chore. The fun is being sapped out of writing them. I feel drained at just the idea of writing 100 words. I worry that with it feeling more like a chore, the quality of them will deteriorate.

I don't want to just drop this goal, but I'm rethinking how to approach it. Instead of every day, I'm setting a goal of writing four drabbles per week. This way, I give myself a couple days a week to rest my muse and recharge the creative juices.

Have you ever altered a goal? Or just dropped on entirely because it wasn't working?

7 Comments

Liz A. link

4/9/2018 11:19:52 am

Totally OK to revamp a goal when things change.

Kate link

4/9/2018 11:30:51 am

I think goals need to grow and change to fit with your life. If you stick to a goal without thinking about it, you could end up doing the wrong thing ultimately.

J E Oneil link

4/9/2018 12:36:43 pm

You definitely don't want to turn writing into a chore. If four days a week is what you need to do, then keep doing it. Whatever you need to be creative and not having to grind away at it.

Jemima Pett link

4/10/2018 01:52:30 am

I know what you mean. I find even doing a flash fiction once a week hard at present. So why are we doing it? That's the big question. Is it some amorphous goal or is there a point to it. Is it creating content for the blog? Well, yes, but there are other ways. And do we need to blog anyway? Yes, probably, but is it the drabbles that get people involved with you, or is it your angst at doing them??
I think you may benefit from a trip to Vidya Sury's happiness blog :)

J.H. Moncrieff link

4/10/2018 08:20:43 am

Goals are made to be altered, especially if they're not working. I hate to back down from a challenge, but the last time I attempted the A-to-Z, I was miserable. Nothing about it was working for me, so I finally gave myself permission to drop it.

It was so freeing, and I wish the same for you.

George McNeese link

4/11/2018 09:08:06 am

I’ve altered my goals on numerous occasions. It usually happens when I feel overwhelmed.

Cherie Reich link

4/11/2018 11:36:56 am

I change and drop goals all the time, especially if the writing becomes a chore. I know that it's my time to switch things up. When I was writing every single day, I eventually learned that writing to just say "I have written" really isn't a good way to approach writing. It's one thing to push through when things get tough in a chapter or so, but there comes a point where it's better to modify a goal or take a break.

When it's time to say "It's not working" and what to do

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