What should you pay for to make progress this year?

Hellooooo new year, fresh goals, and crisp planner pages!

Anyone else riding the holiday highs straight into a new writing project with hesitant confidence that THIS will be the year?

Many keyboards have been tapped on how most goals fail by February, unless you use this system or course or planner.

In my decade of online entrepreneurship, however, I’ve discovered that no one system, course, or planner will push me across the finish line. It’s really several tools combined with the right mindset and a good night’s sleep.

So I’m not going to tell you that one thing you pay for will guarantee success. It might. But chances are, one of these will be part of your success.

That being said, bargaining to go it alone is a recipe for disaster. I accomplished little in any of my businesses or writing until I invited people into it.

So which should you choose?

The answer depends on what you need to cross that goal off your planner. Write a rough draft? Learn Amazon’s KDP? Grow your platform by a few thousand followers? Then ask yourself, What do I need to get this: Accountability, community, or education?

Side note: You may also need money or time. And if that’s the case, then don’t worry about any of these and find ways to multiply those resources!

If you need accountability, a writing coach is for you.

Many writer’s biggest enemy is themselves. (Guilty!) We all have at least a pen and paper, ideas, and words to string those ideas together. But publishing it to the world? Knowing how to publish it? Not giving into fear, overwhelm, or discouragement? That’s where writers run into the biggest problems.

If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines for years and ready to get into the game, then you need accountability through a writing coach.

My coaches have coaxed fears and doubts out of me, then helped me reform them so they serve me. They’ve clarified my thoughts so I can move forward with joyful confidence. Any time I want to make progress, I invite the right people into the problem.

Plus, knowing that I have to report to someone not a friend or family member gives me that extra oomph to plow ahead.

Ask yourself: Have I tried to do this before but kept failing to make progress?

Does reporting to someone not a friend or family member motivate me?

If you need education, a course is for you.

Whatever you want to know more about, I guarantee you there’s a course for it: writing craft, self-publishing how-to, book proposal writing. If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking or saying, “I can’t do that. I don’t know enough about it,” then get thee a course.

One friendly reminder here. Education is good. I love it and think it’s invaluable to a writer’s success. But learning is for the sake of doing. Don’t let fear tell you that you just need to learn more before taking action. Often, the best education is to just do something.

Ask yourself: Do I feel like I need to know more about a topic/opportunity before pursuing it?

Am I seeking education out of fear or because I see it as a genuine help?

If you need community, a writer’s network is for you!

Maybe you just want to write consistently. You trust that you can, but it’s kind of lonely. Or, maybe community is one of the best motivators for you. If so, then jump into a writer’s network.

I recommend hope*writers and/or Compel Training. I’m a part of hope*writers and will be joining Compel this year! The beauty of these communities is they give you education and a space to process the information with other people.

Every single one of these has helped me become a stronger, happier writer. Which one you choose all depends on what you most need.

I always end my coaching sessions with an actionable plan. I see these blog posts like mini-coaching sessions, so here are your action steps:

• Decide your top goal for the year, quarter, or even month.
• Ask yourself what you most need to accomplish it: time, money, accountability, community, education, or something else?
• What purchases, if any, do you need to make to achieve your goal?