Setting Personal Literary Goals
- Sarnav
- Sep 29
- 4 min read
To counteract the potential lethargy of autumn and winter, I am setting myself a challenge. In the hope that this goal will warm your hearts as much as a cup of ginger, honey, clove and cinnamon-infused herbal tea can warm you on a cold day, I invite you to join me on this journey.
My aim is to embark on a journey of renewal. I hope this article serves as a signal flare to encourage others to take action alongside me. Although I love the beauty of the upcoming seasons, I am aware that we can fall prey to a stifling and gloomy atmosphere. Therefore, I plan to take the lead by setting myself modest goals and keeping them fresh in my mind.
I hope this article inspires you to set your own goals as you embark on this journey.
Although this may seem like a sentence that reveals its intent early on, that is not the case. Failing to achieve your goals does not mean that you have failed completely. This is because goals are often spontaneous decisions, which makes the process seem more emotional and easier to accept. What matters is our persistence in the face of adversity and the effort we put into our endeavours. Even if we don't reach a conclusion, subjecting ourselves to these challenging tests can be inspiring, educational, and motivating.
Therefore, setting reasonable goals that are relatively easy to achieve — as well as being appropriate and motivating — can have a positive impact.
Let me give a few examples from my own experience. Some of these are goals that I am currently working towards, while others are new goals. I hope they inspire you, too.
Let me start with a goal that I have prioritised for years but never achieved: publishing my book. The problem is that every year, I decide that the content of a different book would be more appropriate, so I adapt the texts I write accordingly. This is why I can never focus on a single topic. Breaking free from this indecision and making a firm decision is complicated, as those in a similar situation will understand. At least, that's how it feels. In short, publishing a book within a year is a dream that never leaves my mind. I want to turn this dream into reality and put it to rest. There's still time left in the year, and I'm still hopeful, but I realise I'm running out of it.
Like everyone else, I have a goal to read more books. Although there are platforms where you can track your annual reading goals, it is sufficient to keep your own notes. I have set myself the target of reading forty-eight books a year. Fortunately, our book clubs make it easier for me to achieve this. I thought I could act accordingly. In addition, the books I read enrich my life. However, we must not forget that reading just for the sake of it is an illusion. We must be honest with ourselves about how we achieve our goals, otherwise we won't be able to enjoy the fruits of our labour.
Whenever I touch upon this subject, I am reminded of Ray Bradbury's words: “It's impossible to write 52 bad short stories in a row.” You can access the article I wrote on this topic here. I have never forgotten this sentence ever since I heard it, and I wholeheartedly believe it. According to Bradbury, to be a good writer, you must write incessantly. I therefore decided to write stories regularly, thinking that writing monthly would be more appropriate than writing weekly. However, as things didn't always go as planned, I couldn't achieve this goal.
But remember what was in the agreement we signed at the beginning: The real issue is what we create along the way. Despite my setbacks, I am proud of the stories I have written. After struggling with many unfinished stories, I took on a task that I wouldn't normally undertake. Consequently, I only managed to write four stories in 2024 and five so far in 2025, as well as jotting down numerous unfinished story ideas. Although I strayed from my goal each time, I believe it is important to recognise the value of what I have achieved. I will continue with the same determination in 2026, aiming to surpass last year's achievements.
I continued to explore the subject of writing and embarked on a new endeavour. In 2022, I devoted a great deal of time to poetry and prose, but by 2023, I had moved on. My enthusiasm was rekindled in 2024 thanks to the activities we undertook at İlkgüz. However, I still hadn't reached the level I wanted. This year, though, I can finally say that I'm getting there. Sometimes, leaving things to time can also be effective. Some things need to be mulled over in both the mind and the heart.
Poetry is the grey area of literature, a free space independent of rules and constraints. Even literature itself is not often this free. When writing poetry, you have the freedom to maximise your creativity. However, this can be more challenging than we realise. Although I have embraced poetry in recent years, I now feel ready to slowly start challenging myself in this area. I will take a relaxed approach: I won't pressure my muse, and I aim to write at least one poem or piece of prose each week. What an ideal start! Let's see if I can really do it.
My aspirations for challenges related to my areas of interest are not limited to the following, but these are my current priorities: Perhaps you have a similar list of goals that you are currently working on or have attempted in the past. Although there is no strict deadline for achieving these goals, you could set yourself timeframes, such as by the end of the year, the end of a specific month, or the end of next year. If you have any advice relating to the examples I've given, or any thoughts about your own areas of struggle or personal journey, please share them in the comments, they could be inspiring! Thank you.
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