Better writing resolutions should be something we make all year ’round. But there is something about January 1^st that always seems to get people to focus, both on everything you didn’t get done last year and everything you hope to do this year.

But let’s stop hoping, shall we?

This year, take your writing resolutions beyond wishful maybes and make them happen. If you’ve failed to accomplish all your writing goals in the past, it might be because you were doing your New Year’s resolutions wrong. Do them right this year and you’ll see untold benefits—in both your writing and, I’ll wager, every other area of your life.

The 5 Ways to Make Better Writing Resolutions This Year

Here are five ways you can make better writing resolutions this year:

1. Differentiate Between “True” Goals and “Fake” Goals

True goals are goals that are meaningful for you. We’re not talking just “oh, wouldn’t that be nice?” kind of goals. Earning $500k a year or getting a movie deal are things pretty much everybody would like. But that doesn’t mean we’re actually committed to making them happen.

There are also the goals we think we should be making. These are usually guilt-driven goals, fueled by either a social standard that may or may not exist or by others’ expectations of us. In themselves, they may be great goals (write for an extra hour after supper instead of watching The Amazing Race), but if they’re not goals you’re personally passionate about, they’re not true goals.

True goals are things that burn in your soul. They may be really hard things (like writing for an extra hour after supper instead of watching The Amazing Race), but they’re things that matter to you enough to make them happen.

2. Be Specific

Once you’ve identified the better writing resolutions you want to see happen this year, write them down. And be specific. “Write for an extra hour every day” is a good goal. “Write more” is not.

3. Do It By the Numbers

I hate numbers. And, honestly, they hate me back (I came that close to flunking high school Algebra and I couldn’t do an equation now if you paid me). But numbers tell the truth. Numbers keep us focused and on track. If your “write more” goal turned into a specific goal of “write a 100k-word novel in one year,” then you need to crunch the numbers in order to make that happen. How many words are you going to need to write each month? Each week? Each day? Each hour?

Knowing the numbers and the timeline of your better writing resolutions will help you keep on track over the long course of the year. Otherwise, you may find yourself staring December 2016 in the face with only 50k words in your Scrivener doc.

4. Be Realistic

I sometimes get carried away by the grand possibilities of the New Year. A whole new twelve months! Think of all I can get done!

I inevitably resolve to do more than is humanly possible, and I’m inevitably disappointed by the time December rolls around again. Overachieving is good, but, after a certain point, it’s also not the most productive mindset.

When you’re crunching those numbers, make sure you’re creating daily, weekly, and monthly goals you can accomplish in relative comfort. Plan to push yourself a little bit, but also leave room for the real-life stuff we all know is going to happen between now and the next New Year’s Eve celebration.

5. Create a Game Plan

Now that you have some solid data on your better writing resolutions for this year, it’s time to get down and dirty and create a game plan. Figure out the exact steps you need to take to make these goals happen.

• What are you deadlines?

• What tools or resources do you need to get started?

• What are the various steps involved?

• And most importantly–what’s the very first thing you need to do to start the ball rolling?

Do that one tomorrow. No excuses.

Wordplayers, tell me your opinion! What are your better writing resolutions this year? Tell me in the comments!