Why set goals? Because you can either control your own destiny or hand it over to circumstance. (James Scott Bell, The Mental Game of Writing)

In case you missed it earlier this month, I’m reading another book by James Scott Bell. Though most of his books are about writing for writers, The Mental Game of Writing is inspiring my freelance work as much as it’s inspiring my writing. Last week I talked about the mental game of self-employment. This week I’d like to talk about goal setting.

Goals are necessary because they establish absolutes. You can say that you want to be a successful web designer, but how do you make that happen? First you have to know what you mean when you say success (see last week’s post). Then you have to figure out how you’re going to achieve that. Those are your goals.

You can successful set real, applicable goals in two simple steps:

1. Set Your Goals
2. Make a Plan

Set Your Goals

Be specific. Coming up with a mental list of things that might work is a good start, but don’t stop there. You need to create an actual list of goals that you can refine and review.

Make sure your goals are also something you can achieve. “Win a prestigious award” isn’t a realistic goal, because you have no control over the nominating or judging process. “Enter a contest” is a great goal – you have the ability to figure out the guidelines and meet the deadline.

Make a Plan

Goals without a plan are just dreams. You need to know how you’re going to achieve your goals. Using the previous example of entering a contest – plan out your steps. For example, if I entered a writing contest, my plan might look like this:

• Finish rough draft by November 1
• Finish edit by November 15
• Have it critiqued by December 1
• Finish re-write by December 21
• Proofread on or before December 31
• Submit to contest on or before January 5

Plans or Dreams?

Don’t leave your business success up to chance. Set your goals. Make plans. Succeed.

For many people, being self-employed seems like a dream (especially when you can work from home!). No boss. No rules. No dress code.

But also no accountability. No incentive programs. No support from co-workers.

While there are many benefits to self-employment, there are also many challenges, and one things I regularly struggle with is motivation, especially in the dry times when nothing seems to go right. It’s easy to start wasting time, or to use more of your time for house work than “work” work. The trick is to self-motivate, but how?

I recently picked up The Mental Game of Writing by James Scott Bell. More than just a writing guide, this is a self-employed/freelance workers book of motivation. Subtitled “How to Overcome Obstacles, Stay Creative and Productive, and Free Your Mind for Success,” I knew it was a book I needed to read. It only took a chapter to know I’d made the right decision when I bought the book.

I’m sure I’ll reference this book a lot in the next few weeks (months), so strap yourselves in. And the first reference I’ll make? Success. You don’t know if you’ve succeeded until you can define success for yourself.

So what exactly is success?

“Peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” John Wooden

Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill

“Success lies not in achieving what you aim at, but in aiming at what you out to achieve, and pressing forward, sure of achievement here, or if not here, hereafter.” R.F. Horton

Before you can succeed in your freelance endeavors, you need to be able to define what it means to you.

So … how do you define success?