A to Z Challenge: Life Happens

Sigh. This year's Challenge just seems marred with troubles for me. I'm now two days behind, but hey, it's all good, because the reason for my absence ties in quite nicely with the post I have to write at the moment. (And I will find a way to catch up.)

This thing writers must know about writing is especially important if you're goal driven. I know, because I am. (For proof, see right at the top of my blog. The title and the bit under it (sorry, can't remember what it's called because I haven't had a lot of peaceful sleep these past two days. (And while you're being forgiving, please forgive my overuse of parentheses (You know... brackets. (Lots of them.)))))

*counts brackets, then shakes head* Where was I? Oh yes. Goals. If you're new to my blog, you probably don't know how big my goals get. To give you an idea, my goal for April is to finish two A to Z Challenges, to write 50k words for Camp NaNoWriMo and to spend 30 hours this month editing. (Or some sort of combination of that.) WHILE getting my own business back off the ground.

You'd think that by now, I'd be on that great big hamster wheel called panic. I'm not. In fact, yesterday and the day before, I took two whole days off from all my literary projects. The reason is simple:

Goals are excellent ways to keep up some forward momentum, but they often don't take life into account.

And the thing with life is that it happens, whether we like it or not. Two days ago, I was so stressed that I couldn't focus on my writing. Yesterday, things turned around so fast that I almost got whiplash. But then I was so busy riding the wave that I couldn't focus on my writing.

There's nothing wrong with taking a break and falling short on goals. (Unless you're, say, contractually bound to a deadline.) Sometimes we need it. Sometimes, those things in life that really suck gives us the emotional depth we need to write our next story. Life is, in the end, what inspires out writing. Even if you got your idea from reading someone else's book. Life is what let you read that book in the first place.

So don't begrudge yourself your life just because you're falling short on some goals. Make new goals. Adapt to them. Don't give up on them. Just keep going and keep calm.

Because upsetting yourself more because you're struggling to write amid all the chaos around you does not help. Finding a way to get at least something done even if it falls short of your expectations does. Trust me. Even ten words once a week eventually might add up to a book before you die.

So don't sweat. Set goals, but just aim to fall somewhere inside the ballpark every time.

Any other goal freaks out there? No? What is your relationship between writing goals and your life?