Trouble is, not everyone's happy place looks the same. There is no 'one size fits all' solution for goal setting—in some cases, one person's source of encouragement is exactly the thing that drives another to despair. With that in mind, the following goal-setting strategies may not be your cup of tea, but should get you in the right headspace for figuring out what works for you.

Harbinger of the End

This one is for those who work better under a little bit of pressure, and whose word is their bond. By saying to yourself, "I will finish this manuscript by this date," you boldly declare your intention to the universe, creating a sense of obligation to follow through with it. If this works for you, you may also benefit from sharing your declaration with others, thereby raising the stakes and increasing accountability. Let no-one tell you you don't mean what you say!

Checkpoint Charlie

There are endless ways to approach this one: whether it's committing to x words per day, x pages a week, x hours a fortnight, or any other combination of progress and time, if you're all about the little wins, this might be the approach for you. By breaking the manuscript down into bite-sized pieces, you make the totality of it far easier to digest, and the process of finishing it much more palatable. With this method, it's possible to calculate almost exactly how long it'll take you to finish your manuscript if you stick to the plan—but this knowledge may hurt you more than it'll help, so consider whether you want to take it that far!

The Carrot-Chaser

For some of us, try as we might, the friends we make along the way just aren't enough of an incentive. So? What does one do when the joys of the journey don't cut it? Why, reward themselves in other ways! Perhaps, like me, you love a good pub meal, but can rarely justify spending over fifty dollars on a single plate of food. Why not assign a good eye fillet (or similarly tempting reward) to a certain milestone of completion? Heck, draw up a chart of rewards for every step of the way if you'd like!

These are just a few examples of ways you can use goal setting to trick your brain into working for you rather than against you. When coming up with your own method, ask yourself: what motivates me? What makes me discouraged, and how might I reframe it so that it drives me instead (or at least doesn't hold me back)? Perception is a powerful thing, and it's amazing how much of a difference looking at things differently can make.