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Vocal+ Goals

Successfully reaching my first three Vocal+ Goals and those I've set for the rest of 2021 now that I have

By Clara Elizabeth Hamilton Orr BurnsPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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I've always believed that setting goals is important. In January 2021, I set myself 3 goals for my written work on Vocal+ and in the last week, I've completed all of them much to my astonishment and delight. The emotions that I felt at having completed these goals before we're even halfway through the year lead me to the decision that I wanted to set myself a few more. I don't believe that there is anything wrong with a little bit of healthy ambition as long as one knows how to stave off complete disappointment when things don't quite go as planned.

Vocal+ Goals 2021

  1. Receive my first tip (Check)
  2. Reach the first withdrawable amount (Check)
  3. Have a piece appear in the Top Stories (Check)
  4. Place in a Vocal+ Challenge
  5. Give out at least $50 in tips to other creator
  6. Find other creators that I love and promote their work on social media and through my own articles

Now, I realise that in my wallet I 'only' have $21.95, but I see that as a hugely positive step in turning writing into a way to make money and any goal that you set yourself and hit, should be taken as an achievement. Even if it might seem inconsequential to others.

Receiving tips is such a fantastic way for Vocal+ Creators to support each other and I am grateful for every dollar that someone has so far sent my way out of their own hard earned cash. I really love this feature of Vocal+, it's one of my favourite things about the site, because in a lot of ways it's like receiving 10 good critiques at once. If someone believes in your work enough to part with their own cash, that is a major confidence boost for any creator. It's this reason that actually lead me to my fifth goal that I have begun to work towards. I want to give other creators that same boost of confidence that I've felt every time I've received a tip.

When I logged onto Vocal+ yesterday morning as I do most mornings, I was shocked to see my own article on the Top Stories page. It was just a little piece I did on why I think that writers should be using Vocal+. I never thought it would end up where it did. I've actually had two stories appear in the Top Stories section now and it's given me such a drive to keep going and keep creating.

In terms of goal number 4, well who doesn't want to place in a Vocal+ challenge? It's the best way to make money as a member of Vocal+ but I had never considered setting it as goal for myself before because I (A) didn't want to get my hopes up and (B) didn't want to come over as arrogant even to myself if I did set that goal for myself. I see now however that was the wrong way of looking at it. Like I said above, one has to know ow to deal with disappointment and setting myself the timeframe of, 'I want to place in a challenge by the end of 2021' could potentially set me up for a heap of disappointment, and yet by setting this goal, it means I have to push myself to be a better writer. I have to read the articles and stories of those creators who are placing, instead of just ignoring them because waaaa my story didn't win waaaa. I have to learn how to appreciate and understand the creations of others and I think in the world of writers that we should all be doing that. It's not enough to think we're the best and we should have won, we have to be able to congratulate others and to learn from the trail that they are blazing. So, yes, I want to place, but I want to grow as well.

As for my last goal, I would actually like to start that here and now. I've included below three of my favourite pieces by other creators on Vocal+ right now and if you're reading this then I really hope you can take just a little extra time and check them out too because what they're putting out there is really worth taking that time for.

If I get to January 1st 2022 and I've hit all six of these goals, I'm not going to stop there. I'll have a whole fresh new list for 2022. Stand by people, because I'll be updating as we go and trying to flesh out what changes me as a person and as a writer as I go.

My Picks For Top Vocal+ Stories Right Now

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About the Creator

Clara Elizabeth Hamilton Orr Burns

"I was always an unusual girl

My mother told me that I had a chameleon soul

No moral compass pointing due north

No fixed personality...

...With a fire for every experience and an obsession for freedom"

-Lana Del Ray

Ride

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