I have been on Hive for quite some time now. When I joined, I didn't really understand why I was here. Without my "why", I didn't have motivation to continue. I was not thinking about Hive enough; I was somewhat divided; I had interest in some other things, like learning a skill, which was data science with R at the time.
Coupled with my lack of "why", I doubted I would ever have anything to do with writing, so why do it at all? I have known myself to be more of a calculative person than someone who is good with words. This doubt really hindered me from writing. So, I need to think about writing more and pay attention to prompts in my environment.
With your why, you are sure to have something to fall back on when the doubts or demotivation start creeping in. In addition to having a concrete reason for being on Hive, your "why" is that you should set a goal that gives you a sense of purpose and something to work towards, and that is what I am here to talk about.
I have stated above the importance of setting goals on Hive. But I would like to state it more clearly. The importance of setting goals on Hive is to have a sense of purpose and motivation to keep writing. Setting goals will serve as a guide towards a destination. Next up, I will talk about setting SMART goals and what makes a goal SMART.
When setting goals in general, you have to make sure your goal is SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. When I say specific, I mean your goal must be very direct, hit the nail on the head, and have a clear destination you're headed for.
You can't set a goal and then be vague about what you're talking about. For example, my hive power goal is to attain one hundred HP by the end of this Newbies Initiative program, which is in two months. This is specific, clear, and straight to the point.
After being clear and specific, it has to be measurable. Measurable in the sense that you can track your progress and can plainly tell when you have attained or surpassed your goal. That is, you can quantify it.
Next, it has to be achievable. It has to be something you believe you can achieve, and you are sure you can, either because you have seen someone do it before or because you've done your research and realized it is actually possible to achieve.
Then it has to be relevant. It has to be relevant in the sense that if you don't see a reason for the goal, you are most likely not to pursue it. It has to align with your values and dreams. It has to be something you really want. If not, you will forget the goal and the reason why you have it in the first place.
Your goal is also to be time-bound; otherwise, there will be no need to start working on it now. Giving you an avenue for procrastination, and you will eventually not achieve it because there was no deadline in place to put and motivate you to work.
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Like the example I gave above, "my Hive Power goal is to attain one hundred HP by the end of this Newbies initiative program, which is in 2 months." In addition to that, "I hope to achieve this by posting consistently for an average of five times per week, every week."
My second Hive goal is to increase my followers to over 40 by the end of two months. I would achieve this by actively engaging in other authors' posts and in communities. I will engage in an average of 7 posts and 5 threads per day.
My goals are SMART because they are specific and clear; they are measurable and quantifiable; they are achievable and attainable because I have inquired from Hivers on the feasibility of my goals; they are realistic and doable as long as I follow through on my strategy to achieve them; and they are within the span of the Newbies Initiative program, which is for two months, so therefore they are time-bound.
Thank you for reading, guys.
cheers 🥂