| Become a Goal Achiever  "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal." - Henry Ford Are you feeling overwhelmed? Does it seem like there are constant obstacles in your path? Do you imagine some maniacal being is sabotaging you by thwarting your progress? An Expert Author recently expressed this same frustration, stating it's easy to make goals, visualize yourself meeting them, but actually doing it during the daily grind is another story. I'm going to share with you what I shared with her: Whether your goal is to write a 50,000 word novel for NaNoWriMo or publish 30 articles by the end of the month, you can set actionable steps to feasibly achieve your goals by chunking. What Is Chunking? Chunking is the process of dividing something into smaller chunks. You can chunk down to create actionable steps and chunk up to prioritize your efforts. Think of it like you're looking at a forest: - Chunk Down: See the forest (goal) for the trees (details). Consider the elements and details that make the goal whole.
- Chunk Up: See the forest (goal) as a whole. Avoid getting so wrapped up in the details that you lose sight of the big picture.
How Do You Do It? Chunking down is best done with a map as a guide. Here's how to make your map: - Once you've established your goal, write it down.
- Chunk down by writing all of the steps and elements you need to take to get there.
- Draw arrows indicating the order of events between the steps.
For example, let's say I want to publish 30 articles by the end of the month. Here's what my map (in part) may look like:  Once you have a map detailing the chain of events needed to achieve your goal, move forward by planning a timetable. When Do You Do It? Once you've established a road map, chunk your time by creating a timetable. Of course, be realistic with the timetable, but be okay with a challenge. Push the limit! For example, I know I take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to draft an article of 700-1,000 words. This estimate may be less with zero distractions, but I'm never 100% distraction free so I'm giving myself a little wiggle room. I usually will take an additional 30 minutes to revise, edit, proofread, and perform final edits. To submit and publish, I will allot at least 5 minutes to ensure all of the information in the Write & Edit submission form of my account is correct. I'll also take 10 minutes to prepare a few social media posts to be ready to promote the article once it's live. From start to finish, I clock 2 hours and 15 minutes for one article. To write 30 articles (to meet my goal), I will need to allot 67 hours and 30 minutes for the duration of one month. Since I have various non-writing duties and priorities (as well as a few holidays this month), I need to chunk out my writing schedule to accommodate my writing goal accordingly. First, I've estimated the duration of my daily writing sessions to determine how much time each day I will be dedicating to writing: - 1 article = 2 hours and 15 minutes
- 2 articles = 4 hours and 30 minutes
- 3 articles = 6 hours and 45 minutes
Next, I'll create a timetable to stay on the ball. I'll also share this with my team, family, and friends to secure their support.  Based on this timetable, I'll have written 30 articles by day 25 with planned catch-up days (in case my writing sessions are interrupted and I go over the time I allot myself) as well as breaks to refresh and celebrate holidays with my family. The next step: Do it! It's never too late to get on track with your goals. When you break goals into doable chunks, it's much easier and more motivating to achieve them. Set a goal, apply the chunking method, embrace it by taking action, and don't take your eyes off the goal! What method do you use to achieve your goals? Click here to let us know - we'd love to hear from you! | 
To Your Article Writing Success & Passion!
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