SMARTER Goals
7 Steps To Help You Set Goals For Your Creative Life
So many artists are disappointed with their creative
careers. They are frustrated by day jobs that suck the life from them. They
struggle to get to the “next level”.
Why is that? They have talent. They show and enter contests.
Folks like their works.
The real problem is far too many artists do not have goals
or a plan.
A Goal is a well-defined target. A Goal without a plan and
timeline is just a dream. The truth is the bigger goal is really comprised of
many little goals. The goal is the destination and the plan is the road map.
Here are seven steps to help you set SMARTER goals and develop
a workable plan to achieve them:
1. Specific
Exactly what is it you want to achieve in your creative
life? If your goal statement is vague, you will find it hard to achieve because
it will be hard to define what creative success means to you.
A well-defined goal will give you clarity, direction and
motivation towards what you want. A specific goal will usually answer question;
What do I really want to accomplish?
Andrew Simonet, of Artists U, goes into more details in his free
e-book: MAKING Your Life as
an Artist. You can download it for free!
2. Measurable
You must be able to track progress and measure the result of
your goal. Some goals are easy to measure while others have no apparent
qualities.
Tracking your results will help you determine if you are
headed in the right direction. A good goal statements answer the question: How
will I know when I achieve my goal?
3. Attainable and
Action-oriented
An Attainable goal should stretch you a
little. When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to
figure out ways you can make them come true.
Develop an Action plan to reach them. Ensure
the actions you need to take to achieve your goal are things you can do and
control. Within in each big goal, there are smaller goals. What steps are
needed to Achieve your goal? Identify the requirements and constraints. Setting
lofty goals can be very intimidating. By breaking down goals into smaller,
bite-sized pieces makes it easier to achieve the end goal.
4. Realistic,
Result-Oriented, Record and Resourced
A Realistic, a goal must represent an
objective toward which you are both represents a willing and able to work. A
goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just
how high your goal should be. Be sure that every goal states a Result.
Record your goal and progress towards it. Written goals are
visible and have a greater chance of being completed successfully. Recording is
necessary for planning, monitoring and reviewing progress. Is your goal written
down?
R also stands for Resources. How much money will this
project require? Where is the money coming from? Does your budget match your
goals? What shoestring solutions can I implement? Can I barter services? Can I
crowd-fund this project?
5. Time-Bound
Goals must have a deadline. Without a deadline, it's easy to
put goals off and forget them. As well as a deadline, it's a good idea to set
some short-term milestones along the way to help you measure progress.
A time-bound goal will usually answer the question of When? What
can I do six months from now? What can I do six weeks from now? What can I
do today?
6. Excitable,
Enjoyable, Engaging
Goal must Excite you. You must really want
this with all your heart and soul. Goals must also be Enjoyable. If you are not
having fun then you must ask yourself is this really the goal you want?
Goals must also be Engaging to you as well as others.
You must find your audience. Who wants what you create?
7. Rejoice, Relax,
Review, Reevaluate, Regroup, Repeat
Rejoice in your efforts and results. Relax to Renew
your energy.
Review the good and bad results. What could have been better? Reevaluate
your goal and the steps needed. Then Regroup the action plan and Repeat.
A final thought. Once you have your goals written down and a
plan in place. You must keep your goals CLEAR.
Commit to the goal & the action plan
Look outside the box for solutions
Keep your Energy high. Get enough rest, eat properly
and remember to have fun.
Attitude is Everything. Stay positive and
focused.
Reward yourself when goals are met. Do not
under any circumstance reward yourself for disappointments & failures. What
I mean is, saying to yourself: I didn’t
achieve my goal so I’m going to go out to dinner or buy a new pair of shoes to
make me feel better. That dinner out or new pair of shoes should be the reward
for “getting something done”.
Don’t wait until New Years Day to create a plan. Start now and take the time to create a road
map to your creative success. Below are links to some excellent resources to
helping you to identify and articulate your goals and to create the plan.
