While making money is important, it shouldn’t be your only goal as a freelance writer. Earlier this week, we talked about setting your income goal for 2014. But since most of us write for reasons in addition to supporting ourselves or our families, you should set other goals for yourself as well. So this week, take the time to think about what you really want to achieve this year, beyond the money.

Here are six goals you should set this year:

1. Work/Life Balance Goal – Many writers are freelancers instead of taking an office job because of the flexibility that it provides. But I know that I often I get so caught up in my other goals, that I forget to take advantage of that flexibility. It can be easy to fit your life around your work instead of the other way around. Some writers I know take the weekends off and won’t work, while others take Fridays off to get caught up around the house. I try to not work when my kids are home from school and on break. This year, make a concrete goal that forces you to take time to recharge and relax. Write it down and plan your work around this goal.

2. Bucket List Goal – Is there a brand or publication that you REALLY want to write for? You know, one that would make you so excited that you would call your mom and post it on Facebook. Last year, my Bucket List publication was Entrepreneur.com and after much persistence, I finally achieved it. And this year, I want to be published in a magazine that is sold at the grocery store. A writer that I talked to a few weeks ago really wanted to work for Whole Foods. And I have to say that writing for my favorite grocery store in the world, Publix, would be a dream come true for me. Bucket list goals aren’t about the money or getting more work, it is about accomplishing something that makes you excited.

3. Content Marketing Goal – Since it is almost impossible (if not totally impossible) to make a living wage these days writing only for consumer publications, many writers are wanting to add more corporate clients. If you are still in the shallow end of content marketing writing, make concrete goals this year on how become an experienced content marketing writer. You could say that by the end of the year you want content marketing writing to be 50 percent of your business and make a concrete goal to send out a specific number of LOIs to brands and content marketing company. If you need to learn more about the topic, make a goal of reading key blogs and websites each week as well as attending webinars or reading books.

4. Marketing Goal – Yes, this one isn’t as fun as the others. But without marketing, you won’t meet any of your other goals. It is very easy to only market when you don’t have work, but that is a poor strategy and when I go that route I often end up eventually taking lower paying assignments out of desperation. This year, make a weekly or monthly goal for marketing efforts and stick to it. It can be sending out a certain number of LOIs, making cold calls or attending local networking events. Think about what marketing activities have been most successful in the past for you and make a point of following through this year.

5. Stretch Yourself Goal – It’s really easy to stay in your comfort zone and write about the topics you know about in the formats you are familiar with. But that doesn’t grow your income, your skills or your connections. One of my favorite quotes is “A ship in the harbor is safe, but that isn’t what ships are built for.” So this year set a goal to go outside of your comfort zone and do something new. It could be adding a new niche, writing a new type of deliverable or starting your own blog. My stretch goal last year was to write a white paper and I am happy to say that I wrote two whitepapers in 2013. This year my stretch goal is to seek out speaking engagements that will help increase my connections.

6. Income Goal – And yes, it is essential to have an income goal and to work towards it throughout the year.  Most of us are not writers just for the joy of it. We need to make money to support our families. Just make sure that this is not your only goal.

What are your goals this year? Did you meet your last year’s goals?