Setting Your 2008 Blogging Goals

By now, you should already have a pretty good idea of which direction you want to go for the year 2008. If not, you've got a whole year to figure out which way you've gone. By this I mean that there are plenty of bloggers out there that spent the better portion of last month wondering why they didn't do things differently for the year of 2007, but realized they had strayed far from their original goals. For some, it may have been a successful year - but for others who find themselves pondering the waste of an entire year, all hope is not lost.

Take a moment to go over your 2007 blogging goals if you had them documented. Re-evaluate how you set your goals, and how realistic they were. If you set blogging goals for 2007, asking yourself a few simple questions may help you realize where you stand, and which direction you hope to go. If you didn't have any goals last year, or are just starting out this year, it still may be a good idea to go over the questions before you set your 2008 goals, and may help you set realistic goals that you have the ABILITY to accomplish.

• What have you accomplished that you had hoped you would?
• What did you miss out on? How many short term, attainable goals did you set for yourself, and did you complete them?
• What were your long term goals, and are you on track to complete them within the timeframe you originally set?
• How many of the goals you set seem unrealistic now that you look back at the year?
• What would you do differently this year?

Looking back at the past (as cliche as it sounds) - can prevent you from making the same mistakes. It also helps you to realize what you could have done better, how well you planned your year, and how well you stick to your goals. If you had trouble staying on track, you may do well to have monthly goals, and set a prediction of where you hope that accomplishing those goals will take you.

Try to avoid the traditional 5-year plan type of goal setting. The internet is volitle, and you may find your goals obsolete in a matter of a few months. 5-year plans work well for overall business goals, marriage, family planning - but not so much for blogging. Remember that in order to succeed in any online business, including blogging, you've got to be willing to stay current, keep up with the changes in the online world, and change with the times.