Helen's Word
Helen's Word
The SAFE Goals Walk
0:00
Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -30:12
-30:12

The SAFE Goals Walk

Walk your writing from SMART to RAD

Dear fellow writer,

Welcome to Swordswings, my podcast series for writers in motion. These recordings are intended for you to listen to when you’re moving around — which is a great way to get your writing moving as well.

Today, I’ll talk you through the process of setting some SAFE writing goals for the year ahead: Simple, Achievable, Forgiving, Easy. Then, once your safety net is in place, you may wish to supplement your SAFE goals with a few RAD writing goals: Risky, Audacious, Daring!

These monthly podcasts are my thank-you gift to my wonderful paid subscribers. Members of my WriteSPACE community can now download the audio files and transcripts of all Swordswings episodes from the new Audio section in the WriteSPACE Library.

As always, I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

If you’re a paid Substack subscriber but not yet a WriteSPACE member, you can use this special discount code to unlock premium access to hundreds of additional writing resources including live workshops, exclusive videos, whizzy diagnostic tools, and colorful weekly prompts. I’d love to see you there!

Kia pai tō koutou rā (have a great day) – and keep on writing!

Helen

Here are the acronyms I discuss in this month’s podcast:

SMART goals

  • Specific

  • Measuable

  • Achievable

  • Relevant

  • Time-limited

SAFE goals

  • Simple

  • Attainable

  • Forgiving

  • Easy (and Enjoyable!)

RAD(ical) goals

  • Risky

  • Ambitious

  • Daring (and Delicious!)

The SPACE of pleasurable writing is:

  • Socially balanced

  • Physically engaging

  • Aesthetically nourishing

  • Creatively challenging

  • Emotionally fulfilling

Books on writing by Helen Sword

Writing with Pleasure
Princeton University Press, 2023

Air & Light & Time & Space: How Successful Academics Write

Harvard University Press, 2017

Stylish Academic Writing
Harvard University Press, 2012

The Writer’s Diet: A Guide to Fit Prose
University of Chicago Press, 2016

Discussion about this podcast

Helen's Word
Helen's Word
Sharpen your style and find joy in wordcraft with bestselling writing expert Helen Sword