What Are Your Goals for 2018? (Part 1)

This post is part one of a four-part series, where myself, Ciaran, Yassir, and Richard share our goals for 2018.

Everywhere you look you see posts about goal setting. “You should set goals because then you know what you’re working towards,” people say.

Fair enough, that makes sense. The problem though is that we buy into the hype and create a long list of goals, most of which we never achieve. New year resolutions anyone?

If we aren’t achieving many of our goals, it may be time to change how we set them. Instead of joining the hype and creating a long list of goals, prioritise and create fewer goals.

Setting goals this way may take longer because we have to think about what we want to achieve. But it’ll be worth it because it’ll ensure we set meaningful goals.

And, the more meaningful the goals, the higher the chances that we’ll complete them, right? Because let’s be honest, we complete things we actually care about. It also ensures we’re more focused and can zone in on only that which we want to achieve, and nothing else.

When I set goals I usually tie it to something bigger as it gives me the needed motivation to keep going when I want to give up. I ask myself: Why is this goal important?

To see this in action, I’m going to share the three most important goals for me this year (and no, they’re not just writing goals):

1. Increase My Writing Income to $5000/Monthly

Why? I want more financial freedom. I want the freedom to buy what I want without worrying about how much it costs. I want extra disposable income to:

• Travel more: I plan to go to Sri-Lanka this year with my girlfriend
• Invest more: I plan to invest in small companies, and only recently I kickstarted this by investing in a friends business venture

Those are some of the drivers to achieve that income marks, besides the fact that I want to test myself (I always enjoy a challenge).

2. Become Calmer in the Way I Approach Things

You’re probably thinking, but that’s not a goal? That’s just some wishy-washy statement. Well, for me it is a goal. I know what it means to me. I know that I often rush things and that I am so focused on getting things finished, that I lose enjoyment in it.

So, It’s my goal to work on this and improve it. Why? The obvious reason is that not being calm causes stress and stress isn’t good for you.

The less obvious reason is that that being calm will have positive ripple effects on my life- physically, mentally, and financially. I will be less tired, mentally stronger, more creative, and in the long run, make more money in my writing business.

“Calm” is, in fact’ my word for the year (thanks must go to Steve Roller, the founder of the Copywriter Café who came up with the idea for creating a word of the year).

It is my central theme for the coming year. It is a word that I’ll use to carry me through when things get tough. It is a word to inspire me and make me realise that things are never as bad as they may seem and that we actually get more done, by caring less.

And, I urge you to select a word of your own. A word, that, as Steve Roller says:

“…has special meaning to you, a word to inspire you, a word to give you purpose and pull you through the year. A word to help you overcome whatever challenges may arise, and remind you of why you do what you do. It might be a word that conveys a new direction or doubling down on a previous commitment. Best if your Word of the Year also carries some emotional weight and attachment.”

Now the next goal is a more lofty goal, and while it’s possible to achieve, the chances are just as good that I may fail because there are outside factors that I have no control of.

In fact, some may say that it’s a total gamble and that I’m crazy. But again this goal is tied to something bigger. Let’s have a look:

3. Make $100,000 from My Cryptocurrency Portfolio

Yes, yes, the cryptocurrency craze is all around us. I say craze because every second person is investing in cryptocurrency. And while this is dangerous it also presents the perfect opportunity to make a lot of money.

The below comment I posted on a Facebook cryptocurrency group sums up my feelings (this isn’t financial advice, invest only what you can afford to lose):

“Half of what we are doing in the Cryptocurrency world is backing companies and their vision based on whether they can deliver what is outlined in the Whitepaper. It’s a gamble. But it’s a gamble that can make you serious money in the short term, and, if you pick the right companies, in the long term too, especially when you get them at a low price.

If you get them super low and crash won’t matter unless they fold. But considering how much money is at play right now, it definitely won’t happen overnight. So when you invest in a coin look at their vision and ask yourself: Do I see this working? If so, have a dabble and invest only what you can afford to lose.

Also, start looking for coins with low market cap, potential, strong teams, and sound tech and get in early. O, and diversify your portfolio. The current cryptocurrency space is a huge opportunity to acquire a life-changing sum of money.

If someone told you that investing one month’s salary (Or less, that’s just the amount I’ve invested) had good odds of making you a million, wouldn’t you have a go? Those that are focusing on the bubble and the negatives, and aren’t investing because of it are missing the point.”

The point is that what we currently have in front of us is an opportunity of a lifetime. Sure there are risks. But, If this came around again, I’d do exactly what I’m doing at the moment. Over, and over, and over again.

This opportunity has also made me realise that I need to start taking more risks in my own life. I’m at the perfect age, where, if I take risks, and fail, I can quickly rebound and get straight back up.

So, for me, 2018 is the year where I plan to increase my writing income to $5000, become calmer (a lot calmer), and aim to make a life-changing amount of money through cryptocurrency trading.

This is my core focus. The next steps now are how I go about achieving those goals – my strategy. That’s already in the works, but it’s a post for another day.

Now, over to you. What are your primary goals for the year? More importantly, why do you want to accomplish this?

These goals can be related to your writing business and your personal life. Though if you’re reading this, you’ll no doubt have writing goals. Perhaps it’s the year when you launch your writing business, get your first client, make your first $1000/month or scale your business?

Whatever your goals may be, know that WriteWorldwide is here to help you achieve them, every step of the way. Feel free to email us at hello@writeworldwide.com or visit our Free Stuff page for resources to help you write better, earn more, and build a thriving writing business.