Summary: [Ep 205]<br> <br> <br> <br> In the <a href="http://annkroeker.com/category/next-level-writer-series" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Next-Level Writer series</a>, we talked about plans and goals.<br> <br> When we set out with a goal and make a plan to methodically move toward that goal, we see what it takes. We understand the investment involved.<br> <br> That’s when we measure the ROI of a particular task or activity using not only our deepest values, which we looked at in Part 2 of A Writer’s Guide to ROI, but also our goals.<br> Weigh Your Goals<br> Let’s say your goal is to complete the manuscript of a novel by the end of summer, but on a whim you commit to a one-month daily photography challenge on social media.<br> <br> The challenge is a lot of fun and provides a creative boost as you break away from your work-in-progress to edit and post an image.<br> <br> Is that creative boost worth it?<br> <br> The challenge starts to distract you from your writing goal as you invest more time in photography than in writing the novel.<br> <br> You have to decide.<br> <br> Do you change your goals and alter your plan to accommodate an activity?<br> <br> Consider your ROI.<br> You Can Change Course for Greater ROI<br> If the photography challenge keeps you from meeting that end-of-summer goal, should you continue with the challenge and change your deadline, or focus entirely on the writing?<br> <br> As you pour creative energy into the photography, you may have less available to invest in the writing.<br> <br> But you might gain so many new followers, it’s worth it, because you might never have met them if you hadn’t taken on the challenge.<br> <br> What’s the greater ROI?<br> <br> Consider your goals. What’s more important? What’s needed first?<br> <br> That will help you determine the best investment of your time, creative energy, and personal resources.<br> Measure Your ROI<br> You can measure the return on investment based on what you’d like to see.<br> <br> In part one in A Writer’s Guide to ROI, Crystal Paine decided activities were worth her time if they made her money or brought in more people or helped her serve her audience better.<br> <br> You could try other measurements:<br> <br> * Income<br> * Word count<br> * Email signups<br> * Visitors to your website<br> * Readers of a particular article<br> * Engagement and likes on a social media update<br> * New followers or friends on social media<br> * Sales of a book or product<br> * Downloads of a free item<br> * Downloads of a podcast episode<br> * Completing a work-in-progress<br> * Relationships with people in the industry (agents, editors, publishers, other writers)<br> <br> You can see from this list how specific activities lead to certain measurements.<br> <br> There are other elements that are so important but much harder to measure, like emotional returns. It’s hard to track those, but you can try. Track them daily using a scale of 1 to 10 to determine where you’re at each day or at the completion of each activity.<br> <br> You can decide how you feel or what you’ve gained in such areas as:<br> <br> * Self-improvement<br> * Confidence<br> * Happiness or joy<br> * Creative satisfaction<br> * Emotional energy<br> * Improved writing skills<br> * Growth<br> <br> Is It Worth It for Me?<br> Is it worth it for me to post on social media at my current rate or more often?<br> <br> Is it worth it to produce a weekly podcast?<br> <br> Is it worth it to send out an email newsletter?<br> <br> Is it worth it to quietly work on books that won’t be available for over a year, maybe two?<br> <br> For me, the answer is yes. Yes to all of that and more.<br> <br> When I calculate my ROI—which is ultimately based on...
