By the time October rolls around, a host of people recognize year-end is not so far away. The season of “what will I have accomplished?” can become a distraction. On November 1st, year-end occurs in only 61 days. Closing the year with a solid win is possible with focused effort.

One antidote to fractured action involves resetting to a prioritized objective. Don’t just set a goal, set the goal. What single, specific accomplishment would make the most significant impact for your year? Let’s view an example.

Have you ever heard of NaNoWriMo? The aggregated syllables stand for National Novel Writers’ Month.* Every November, thousands of writers around the world sign up to create a manuscript—start to finish—in a single month. Notice they’re not signing up to complete a perfect manuscript. Nor are they committing to have their book published by the end of November. The goal is to complete a draft.

NaNo writers set themselves up with specific word count commitments. Progress is posted daily in an online community, where writers can also share titles, story summaries, and other information. They write solo and also band together for regional or virtual “write-ins.” In addition to encouraging each other to stay on task, several well-known authors provide inspirational messages and advice that group organizers email to participants.

The event timing is genius. Organizers take advantage of the natural prodding of our subconscious regarding year-end. For individuals who want to write a novel, making the commitment to write daily for 30 days doesn’t seem too intimidating. A 50,000 word novel breaks down to a roughly 1,667 words per day pace. Organizers remind writers to just write, not edit. While some aspiring novelists will not finish, many do.

Completion of a significant goal is satisfying, and life affirming. The objective can be personal or professional. If you seek to make an impact with what’s left of the year, consider choosing a stretch goal similar to a NaNo writer: Over the next 30 days, I will write an average of 1,667 words every day to create a novel. Be specific. Write out your goal. Then prioritize action every day towards the goal. If possible within your daily schedule, begin this action first—before your other commitments.

Would you like support? Post your goal in LEADistics’ Facebook page. We’ll prompt you with opportunities to share your progress. If you need more help with a 60-day plan and accountability, then reach out.

*NaNoWriMo Shield logo image courtesy of NaNoWriMo.org, a 501(c)3 nonprofit

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