How I Celebrate Writing Goals
It’s always fun to hit my writing goals, be that a word count, finishing a book, or finally getting through a scene that has been bugging me for a long time. Hitting those writing goals is cause for celebration, so here are the top eight ways I celebrate my writing.
8️⃣ Research new ideas! How else do you celebrate when you finish writing a book? Now that my space is clear, I'm celebrating by exploring new ideas. This can be research for settings, plot ideas, or even outlining. The more I get done now, the less I have to worry about during writing time. Researching time is for researching, writing time is for writing.
7️⃣ Trails - After some injuries, I'm unable to run, but I will never give up my love of trails. I love nature and finding little gems. I spent three summers in Ohio finding all of the trails in Cuyahoga National Forest. Having a bit of a break from the stress of writing and straining my creativity is perfect to recharge and celebrate a big win.
6️⃣ Photography - It's been a while since I picked up my camera. With all of the restrictions, I'm not getting out as much, but I used to be more adamant about bringing my camera everywhere. Why not do a photoshoot to celebrate hitting a goal? It’s perfect to capture the mood. Bonus is taking it on a trail!
5️⃣ Reading - The only reason this is moved to number five is because since becoming a writer, I haven't quite gotten the hang of reading for fun anymore. I always try to study the books rather than escape... However, reading is still a great tool to celebrate. I let another author do the work of creating a world and I try to immerse myself in a new story. Even if I can’t fully turn off my writing brain, at least I’m learning something to apply to my next book!
4️⃣ Watercolor - I'm so bad at art, I prefer words, but watercoloring has been a good stress reliever for me lately. I have a set of watercolor pens that have been my go-to decoration for my Passion Planner. Having a specific theme for each weekly spread helps make those writing goals look a little more pretty… plus, motivation to actually get stuff done on the weeks where my spread is flawless! Check out some spreads here.
3️⃣ Music - if I don't have headphones in my ears, there's something wrong. I love love love music - for writing, for enjoying, for walks, for study, for creativity... there's a song for every situation. It's like having a soundtrack for life! I have a million playlists, each one for a different mood. Of course, I will generally have the same ten songs on repeat. I like to make a new playlist for each new writing goal I set so I have some musical inspiration to get me motivated.
2️⃣ Kitty cuddles - I do my best to spend some time on the couch so the cats have a lap to cuddle on. Usually I spend about thirty minutes watching a TV show and letting their purrs calm me down. You can’t go wrong celebrating with some fur babies. They might not understand the goals you hit, but they are perfect for lifting your mood and being happy.
1️⃣ WRITE THE NEXT BOOK - my favorite reward is actually more writing! It's my passion, and a reward for finishing one book is getting to work on the next one. I am constantly looking for new ideas and things to practice. The faster you finish one project, the sooner you get to work on the next. As an indie author, you have to continue writing if you want to grab your audience’s attention. So, celebrate with another book!
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