#time goals

[writing-with-olive]

i am starting to get back into the habit of writing again. my main issue is that i get ideas for stories and end up abandoning them, mainly because i have lots of other stuff going on atm like finishing my last few semesters of school. do you think it's better to set goals based off how many words i write, or for how much time i spent writing? thank you

Hey anon!

The biggest thing is to prioritize writing for fun and enjoyment. If you don't enjoy what you're doing, it doesn't matter what goals you set - it will be very hard to reach them, and it's gonna make you feel not great. Especially if you've got a lot of other demands on your time and energy.

As for word vs time goals, it depends a bit on what you want to accomplish, and how your brain works. Word goals are great if you get distracted easily and need a way to track progress that cuts through all of that, but can sometimes cause stress/burnout if you overdo it. Time goals are great if you need to just show up to write consistently, but they can be a lot less objective way to go about tracking if you don't define what counts and doesn't count as writing beforehand.

(more detail on both below the cut)

Word goals have the benefit of concretely showing how much you've accomplished, and it can motivate you toward finishing projects, as you can ballpark what the end wordcount will probably be, and then work toward that. I find it's also a bit easier to track, as you can just click the wordcount on whatever writing software you're using, and boom. You've got your wordcount. There's a couple pitfalls when it comes to wordcount goals, though. The first is in writing quality - if you focus too much on "oh I need to get this many words written and then I've accomplished my writing goal for the day" you can sometimes end up with bloated prose and/or a lot of fluff that creates words but doesn't really add to anything. Of course, this isn't universal, but it's something I find crops up more (at least for me) than if I'm doing time-based goals. The other thing: be careful about setting word goals too high. Especially if you're starting off and are still working out your rhythm - going too hard too fast can cause burnout like nothing else, which tanks enjoyment and productivity, and can sometimes bleed into other areas of life.

One of the biggest advantages of time goals is that it can allow you to focus on the quality of your work without putting quite as much emphasis on pumping out content. It's great for building habits, as it's more about showing up every day (or however many times in the week if you don't write every day - completely valid), and it can let you explore. I used time goals a lot more when I was just starting out with a writer and it was a lot of fun. Like word goals, time goals can also have some pitfalls. Firstly, it can be more difficult to track. If you don't remember what time it was when you started, or you got distracted in the middle, but don't know how much it should count or not count, or you did a micro-session and just got in four sentences in between homework assignments, or whatever - you will have to work a little bit harder to track it. The other thing is deciding what counts and doesn't count as writing. If you sit down to a thirty minute writing session, but spend half of it looking through tumblr for the right dialogue prompt, does it all count? or just the fifteen minutes you actually wrote? Also, if your goal is to finish a project, it's a little harder to estimate how long it will take, so breaking down time goals can be trickier.

Another thing to consider is that there's no reason you can't switch between types of goals if you find that the one you pick first doesn't really work for you, or your other commitments force you to adjust your writing habits. Personally, I set quarterly goals where I decide how much of a project I want to get done (finish act 2, etc), and then on a week-by-week basis, I decide if my current schedule and mental state better supports time goals or word goals. Since you switch out projects a lot, this specific system may not be the ideal, but I put it here anyway so you can see how it might see it and find a way to adapt it to your needs specifically.

Hopefully this helps. Happy writing!

[mental-health-advice]

Hey I have really bad anxiety to the point where I don't even feel real anymore and I'm sick of having this happen everytime something remotely alarming happens. I just want to feel real and in control again and I'm scared to ask my parents to take me to a therapist. Any advice on how to make it better? Or how to approach my parents on this subject? Thanks

Hi friend,

I’m sorry that you are dealing with anxiety, it can be super hard to deal with alone. It’s great that you have felt able to reach out to us for help, so I hope that I’ll be able to give you some advice and reassurance!

It may be good for you to develop some techniques that help you to deal with your anxiety when facing it.  Everyone is different, so different things will help different people, and it may take a little trial and error until you find something that works effectively for you. I suggest you have a look at our anxiety page series, specifically the self-help and calming down pages.

Grounding techniques are personally my go to method for dealing with my anxiety. Grounding techniques help you to reconnect with reality and keep your mind from wandering off in the negative thoughts. Here is a link to our page about different methods. Personally, I recommend something physical like running your hands under icy water. You could also try something like playing a categories game with yourself; so, try to think of ‘’breeds of dogs’’, ‘’states of the USA’’, or ‘’billboard charts’’ etc. It may take you a little while to find the most effective grounding techniques for you, but hopefully the ideas on our page will be of some use to you.

Something else you can try, is when you find yourself facing an intrusive anxious thought, is to stop, acknowledge it, but then challenge it with something like ‘’Do you have any evidence to support that?’’ or sarcastically saying ‘’Wow, what a fab idea that is!!’ By challenging your thoughts, it gives them less power and shows that you are in control. Do you think this is something you can try?

Next is to make sure you are taking good care of yourself. So this involves things like staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, and eating healthily. Personally I do think there is a certain amount of truth to the saying ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ – if you are already feeling a bit low due to not taking the time to look after yourself, it is likely that it will make your anxious and negative thoughts worse. Try to take at least an hour or two a day for yourself and fill that time with doing things that you enjoy and make you feel relaxed and happy. For example, I take a couple of hours before I head to bed and I like to fill that time with art and music; I also use that time to look after my skin and hair just so I physically feel a little better.

I think it is important to try and talk to your parents about what you are experiencing, making sure they know that you are actively looking for help and support because you are not feeling well. Often family members struggle to understand mental health issues, firstly due to a lack of knowledge, and secondly, because they don’t want to cope with the thought of a loved one going through something so bad that they can’t really help with. Saying it out loud may be too difficult, which is completely understandable, so you could consider writing it all down in a letter and sitting with them whilst they read it, then you can discuss any questions that may come up. Does this sound like something you could try to do? You could also try gathering some resources together that explain anxiety in more detail that could help them to understand. 

I do think the best option for you right now is to speak to a professional, such as your doctor or a therapist. They will be able to help with a diagnosis, if applicable, and will start treatment with you. They will also help you to begin understanding what is causing these feelings, or lack of, and hopefully give you so coping mechanisms which you can apply to your daily life. I know reaching out for help can be really scary, but you deserve all of the help available to you, lovely. Here is a link to our page about getting help. Professionals are there to help you in any way they can, they won’t judge you, or make you do or tell them anything you don’t want to.

I hope this has been of some use to you, lovely. Please remember that you are wonderful and deserve to be healthy and happy! Don’t hesitate to get back in touch if there is anything else that we can help you with. Please take care! <3

Rhiann xo

[jessflyingfeet]

Marathon Goals

Marathon Goals Firmly be set on your goals, dreams, and visions. But remain fluid and flexible on how the journey takes you there.  Pregnancies. ‘Rona. Family trauma. Ankle sprains. What, oh prey tell, 2022 will you throw at me next year? So, am I actually, finally, really training for a full marathon here?? How many times will I be posting, logging, setting marathon goals, and then *surprise*…

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[abwatt]

Tai Chi Y4D211: What I'm doing

Tai Chi Y4D211: What I’m doing

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[online-pharmacy-offering-kyb]

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