We’re doing a short series on writing habits, and we’ve been talking about several practices to help you build a writing habit.

Let’s dive in with Habit #1: Create a specific goal for your writing.

If you hang around other writers long enough, you’ll hear a lot of talk about habits. However, the point of developing a writing habit is not the habit itself. The habit is just a mechanism to help you get the writing done.

But the question is: What are you writing? What is the end product this writing habit should be producing?

I encourage you to set some type of goal, since it’s the point of doing all the writing work to begin with. Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles, said this:

“This is the other secret that real artists know and wannabe writers don’t. When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us. The Muse takes note of our dedication. She approves. We have earned favor in her sight. When we sit down and work, we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights accrete.”

There is real power in simply doing the work. My question is: what are you working toward? Is it a book? A weekly blog post? Maybe podcast episodes you’re writing, like I’ve done with this one? Freelance or ghostwriting work?

No matter what it is, I think it’s vital to have something you’re working toward, some type of tangible goal that is important to you.

Today’s Challenge: Decide on a writing goal that is important to you—probably a book. Grab a journal or piece of paper and write it down so you can set your intention and make it concrete.