Tag Archives: Setting writing goals

The Benefits of Taking Small Steps (Guest Post)

The Benefits of Taking Small Steps

by Steph Beth Nickel

But I want it done yesterday!

Longsuffering is an outdated word that we’ve replaced with patience, but the former is so much more effective.

We might tell our child to be patient until everyone finishes their meal before asking for dessert, but we wouldn’t think of this as longsuffering—at least not as adults. Our child might disagree, however.

There are many things we may want: to lose 10 pounds (or more), to develop healthier habits, to complete the renovations to our home, to zero out our inbox, to finish our manuscript(s)…

And if you’re anything like me, your inner voice may be repeating the opening statement above, even though we might rarely confess our impatience aloud.

While I’m sure we’ve all heard it countless times before, the encouragement to do the next right thing, to take the next small step toward achieving our goal, is sage advice.

If I want to lose weight (and I do), I must eat better and move more. The pounds may not melt off, but I will see progress. Borderline cholesterol and blood sugar levels are my primary motivators rather than the scale, but I have to admit seeing numbers I haven’t seen in years is an encouragement. It also helps that I like healthy food and exercise. Setting achievable, sustainable daily goals is far more likely to get me to my ultimate goal than depriving myself of all my favourite treats and wearing myself out with too strenuous a workout.

It looks as if my husband and I will be moving in 2027. So, we very much want to complete the renovations to our 100+-year-old house as soon as possible. Doing at least a little every day will get it done.

Zeroing out my inbox? Not gonna happen, but I can check it daily to make sure I don’t miss anything important, follow-up by responding to starred emails weekly, unsubscribe from newsletters I’m not reading, etc. (By the way, kudos to everyone who has less than 100 emails in their inbox!)

And those manuscripts I mentioned… I have set a goal of choosing 30 of my devotionals on the Gospel of John by the end of October and readying them for publication by the end of the year. My goal for my YA manuscript is to have the current draft completed by the end of the year at the latest. And the last goal for 2026 is to complete the revisions to Paralympian Deb Willows’s second memoir and resubmit it to the publisher.

I will not achieve the goals in the paragraph above unless I break them down into steps that can be completed in short order. This week I will work on Deb’s book at least three times. I will complete and post another chapter of Rule and Reign, my YA novel. I will choose the first 5-10 devotionals to include in the book.

We must be patient with ourselves as we work toward our goals. And sometimes, pressing on will feel like suffering long (or longsuffering), but as we learn to celebrate each step forward, no matter how small, we will see the end goal getting closer and will set a good example for others.

How about you? What small step can you take today toward achieving one of your goals?

Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.

If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

Spring is in the Air (Guest Post)

Image by sunflair from Pixabay

Spring is in the Air

by Steph Beth Nickel

It has been a remarkably mild winter in Ontario. Not great for those who love winter activities, but wonderful for those of us who are not big fans.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the beauty of a pristine, snow-covered landscape—from the warmth of my home.

Even though it’s only February, spring is definitely in the air.

The sparrows have been chirping away in the lilac bush next to our home for weeks now. Even on cooler days, it sounds like spring.

And today, Family Day, it looks like spring. The sun is shining. There is virtually no snow in sight. And the thermometer says it’s above zero. Three of the reasons my hubby and I will be going for a walk.

Spring is Dave’s favourite season of the year. And I must admit that it’s pretty much tied neck and neck with autumn as my favourite season as well.

So, what do spring and all the signs of its imminent arrival have to do with writing?

Typically, we set annual goals at the beginning of the new year. In January. In the midst of what can be a cold and uninviting season.

But why not sit down with pen in hand in the springtime and set our writing goals for the next few months?

Spring overflows with unique sights, sounds, and smells. How can you incorporate them into your writing to make it come alive like creation in the spring?

Signs of new life and growth are everywhere. We just have to take the time to look. How can we bring new life to our writing and grow as writers in the coming months?

And speaking of growth…

Is it time to grow your mailing list? Your social media following? Your marketing efforts?

With all this evidence of new life around us comes beauty that has been dormant for the last few months.

Not everything we write about is beautiful. In fact, some of what we address is dark, difficult, and heartbreaking.

But, as Christians, we often seek to incorporate hope into our work. We want to offer our readers at least a glimmer of hope, a glimpse of beauty.

How can you incorporate beauty into your current work-in-progress?

It’s still early in the year. We may have more cold, dreary days in the weeks to come. In fact, we may even get more snow. But warmer, brighter, more colourful days are coming.

You may be in the midst of a dark time with your writing. Subject matter. Lack of motivation. An overwhelming schedule. All these things and more can keep us from getting words on paper. And even if our words are flowing now, we may encounter a roadblock in the days ahead.

Regardless, spring is coming. And while we have no say about the changing seasons, we do have a say about getting our words on paper.

How will you breathe new life into your writing this month? I’d love to hear about it.

Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.

If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.