A question on goals...

Hello.  I'm working on a chess training program for myself, basically just what to practice and how much.  I have a lot of time to spend on this.  I want to set a realistic but difficult goal for myself, to be achieved in 6 months.

I'm currently rated around 1300 live.  Would it be realistic to make a goal to achieve 1600 in 6 months?  To easy?  To hard?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I think it would be realistic to reach 1600 in 6 months, if you go about it systematically and spend a lot of time on it each day. Preferrably using 15 minute time controls or more, from what I hear!

Following the "study plans" on this site and then following up with a lot of bonus tactical courses in Mentor and training in Tactics Trainer + one of the great beginner/intermediate books on tactics + whatever else it seems like you're missing at the moment seems to probably be more sensible than following a self-written recipe (?) But I'm curious to hear what you're putting into your training program.

Thanks. I've done a lot of research... Here's where the plan is at now:

1 hour of tactics trainer every day starting with puzzles rated 1200 or less and only increasing difficulty when I can get 80% correct in 10 seconds or less.

6 hours of chess mentor per week.

6 hours of book/video study per week.

1 slow game (g/45 minimum, prefer longer) played and fully analyzed 5 days a week.

6 hours of master game study per week.

3 hours of thought process training each day until I can complete a systematic position and move analysis in a reasonable amount of time with 80% accuracy.