Y’all, I’m not proud of the fact that I started writing this blog post in September and am just now publishing it in January. Fall is my favorite time of year for planning. Maybe it’s the fresh-sharpened-pencil scent in the air as school is starting that gets me going. Maybe it’s being ahead of everyone else as they’re trying to create new-year resolutions while they’re nursing their New Year’s Day headaches. Yet here I am like a slacker in January talking about annual planning.

But here’s the thing: you can plan any time of the year. In fact, as I’ll tell you below, you should be planning and replanning all year long.

I know not everyone is a planner like me – gosh, I’m in heaven with a blank calendar or a shiny new notebook – but planning is a great way to set yourself up for success in achieving your goals. As with all writing and business advice, everyone’s brains are different, and this format might not work for you, but I’m going to share the framework I use for my own planning.  

Long-term goals

My first step in goal setting is to establish my long-term goals. Usually, I look at a five-year horizon, but you may prefer to look three years or ten years out. Think about your future self. What do you want that version of you to have accomplished?

Annual goals

Now think about how to get to those long-term goals. What can you do this year to get you a step closer to those long-term goals? Don’t try to accomplish the entire goal. For example, if your five-year goal is to have published your first romance series, perhaps this year’s goal could be to write the first book in that series. If your five-year goal is to be traditionally published, maybe this year’s goal is to query fifty agents (assuming you’ve already written your novel; if you haven’t, that’s this year’s goal).  

You might also consider what you’re not going to do too. For example, if I spend less time scrolling social media, I’ll have more time to write. If I cut out two hours of television or TikTok a week, I can spend that time writing.

Quarterly goals

Now break up that annual goal into goals you can accomplish in three months. For example, in three months, you may be able to get halfway through writing your book. During the next quarter, you could finish writing the book. In the third quarter, you could start to revise it. And in the fourth quarter, you could send it out to some writer friends willing to read and critique it. If you write more slowly or quickly, adjust to quarterly goals that make sense for you.

Monthly goals

Are you seeing a pattern yet? Your next step is to break down each quarterly goal into something you can accomplish in a month. At this level, you should consider other things that are going on in your life. Is it a busy period in your day job? Do you have a vacation planned? Perhaps you should account for being less productive in your writing. Or maybe you’ll have extra time in a month that your kids go back to school or dial back their extracurricular activities, and you can find more time to write. This is the level at which you take a hard look at what you can accomplish in each specific month. You may need to adjust your quarterly goals.

Schedule it

Your calendar can be a great way to introduce some accountability into all this planning. I use Google Calendar, and I schedule writing appointments for myself. Even though I was the one who scheduled the appointment, seeing that reminder pop up on my phone makes me feel as if someone with authority is telling me that I should turn off the TV or put down my book and start writing.

I know it sounds a little silly, and you may feel ridiculous as you enter appointments into your electronic or paper calendar, but if you have problems with motivation, this could help. (Also, it’s a great way to get out of social obligations if you’re so inclined: “No, sorry, I’m already booked at that time.”)

Replanning

While you’re setting up those writing appointments, go ahead and schedule some quarterly replanning sessions. Every three months, spend an hour looking over what you’ve accomplished and how that affects your plan.

Prussian general Helmuth von Moltke wrote that no plan survives contact with the enemy. Your plan probably won’t survive contact with your real life. Maybe you’ll get sick and not write as many words as you’d planned. Or maybe you get a rush of creative energy and finish your draft sooner than you thought you would. Reassess and replan to get yourself back on track or to take advantage of efficiencies.

And that’s it! To sum up, you can plan or replan any time of year, not only on January 1. Keep your big goals in mind, and take one step toward them every day. You might feel like you don’t get very much done in a day, but if you keep at it, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish in a year.