Stretch Goals: When More is Less

 January 4, 2016

When I set my writing goals for 2016, I said I would go back and set stretch goals for these. When I attempted to do so, I found resistance. My heart wasn’t in it. The goals I have already set are challenging yet manageable. I have no inclination to stretch them beyond this.

It’s not that I’m unwilling to be stretched. It’s just that this is not an area where I feel the need to be stretched more than I already am. The only stretching I feel compelled to do is physical–got to keep stretching my body to keep it functional–and spiritual. I want God to stretch me in ways only God can. Other than that, I’ll leave the stretching to younger, more energetic people.

I love writing and I want to continue, but in 2016, I want to get back to my priorities: doing what God wants of me and growing deeper in my relationship with God. I’ve been learning about marketing and all of the business aspects of self-publishing. I’ve attended webinars and read newsletters. Now I’m ready to allow the information to sink into my brain and pick and choose that which is most relevant to me.

I’ve read about writers who churn out six books or more a year. I’ve read about supplementing writing income with podcasts, webinars and classes. The message is to speed up, do more, more, more and do it effectively. I’ve also received emails about how to use the 80/20 rule to get more by doing less. I may end up using some of this at some point, but for now, rather than speeding up, I want to slow down, do the job at hand and wait for God to do the stretching.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me in 2016!

Do you have any stretch goals for 2016?