Back in the spring, I realized I needed to organize my writing life. So I did some research on planners. I wanted one that was detailed enough to set big picture and long term goals but that also had flexibility. I also didn’t want to spend a fortune. After some research and down a few rabbit holes, I settled on one.

At first I was super excited. I recalled back to my high school and college days when I would get a new planner each school year. I looked forward to the day when I could get my hands on it and begin planning my life. I put everything in there. Assignments, tests, papers, work, birthdays, etc. etc.

I was far from a planner novice- but I hadn’t used one in years, instead using my outlook calendar for work related things and a small monthly pocket calendar for personal things. I then transitioned my pocket calendar to the calendar on my phone when I finally jumped on the smart phone bandwagon. My system was working, but then I decided to become a writer. I didnt think I needed to plan, or organize or set deadlines or goals. I would just do, as it came to me. Except, I realized I needed more accountability. Thus the planner. It was great the first two weeks- writing to-dos and checking things off and then after that it quickly fizzled. I didn’t open my planner for weeks. It didn’t mean I wasn’t working on writing things, I was and I am, I just wasn’t tracking them.

I figured when summer came around, and I was once again jobless, I would get back on the planning bandwagon. If I wasn’t to be working every day, at a ‘real’ job, then I was going to structure my days with my writing work as a ‘real’ job. Thus would need to get organized with my planner, set goals and hold myself accountable to meeting them.

So this past week I got it together. I reopened the planner, filled in the dates for this week, and set some to-dos and goals to accomplish. My hope is that I can continue to keep this up and be able to track and make real progress towards my writing goals.

How do you keep track of your writing goals? And how do you hold yourself accountable to them? I’d love to learn how other writers do this!