The Hustle: How Creative People Can Set and Keep Goals
Written by Kim Hoyos
Planning out goals typically falls for January - the calendar year provides that natural time where folks feel the need to reset, plan out their goals, and aspire to be better versions of themselves. But this practice of figuring out our goals, let alone working towards them, can be intimidating. As creatives, we can face added difficulty in setting goals because the practice can seem counterintuitive. Goal setting is often presented as a very rigid system that can make you feel shame or inadequacy if not sustained. But that’s just it- traditional goal setting is very rarely shared with creatives in mind.
Instead, we’re going to share the real ways that you can set and keep goals as a creative person. Some of this might be familiar, some of it might be brand new but all in all remember: you will have to find what works best for you. Use this article as the start of your goal-setting toolkit with other additions and tricks you’re sure to find along the way.
Start SMART…
SMART goals are an easy-to-use acronym that will help you stick to your goals. By starting SMART you’re ensuring that your goals are: S- Specific, M - Measurable, A - Attainable, R- Realistic, T-Time Bound. This breakdown helps you begin with goals that you’ll actually be able to accomplish.
Here’s some examples of how that can look like:
Instead of “I want to work on my art more”
Try to get Specific: “I want to practice video editing different effects”
Instead of: “I will write more this year”
Find how to make your goal Measurable: “I complete the first draft of my screenplay”
Instead of: “I want to shoot my big budget feature film this year”
Make sure your goal is Attainable: “I want to meet with the right producers, financers, and creators this year who can help me plan and pay for my feature”
Instead of “I lost track of when I wanted to release this project”
Definitely aim for your goals to be Time-bound: “I will release my project by Spring and work towards that starting in the Fall.”
Think about your Creative Wellness…
Our creative output is not automatic or at it’s max capacity at all times. Remember, you’re an artist so by nature the way you express yourself is an extension of who YOU are. If you are exhausted, stressed, or experiencing burn out your artistic spirit can’t thrive. This is where you make decisions to protect yourself. Art does not need to feel unnecessarily self sacrificing. Keep in mind that your goals or the pursuit of them should not feel like they’re directly in conflict with your creative wellness. The reason you’re setting goals is to improve yourself but that challenge should not feel like you’re at the end of your rope. It’s as important to meditate, day dream, rest, play, and create as it is to cross an item off your to do list- especially when the things that are not on our agenda are often the key things that make us feel like our best selves.
Keep Your Plan Agile
We ‘fail’ at goals when we don’t adjust for our lives and accept that things change…constantly. So isn’t that not SMART? No, this step is about knowing that your goals can shift throughout the year as well as the way you go about achieving them. By having your creative wellness, finances, and schedule in mind you can look at your goals more holistically and decide what to pursue at what time, when to pursue it, and how to pursue it.
Maybe keeping your plan agile will look like focusing on only 1 goal at a time per season. Or, it can look at the decision to move on from a goal because your priorities changed. If you stay glued to your goals like it’s a contract, you’ll undoubtedly feel like you can’t measure up or feel like you’ve failed if something isn’t completed. If you stay SMART with your goals and also accept that adjustments are needed because you’re a human being, you’re bound to achieve what you’re aiming for.
Goals are Unique to You…
Your goals are not for anyone else’s life or approval but yours. If you’re worried about comparison, take time to reflect on how these goals uniquely fit you. Don’t think that just because something is seen as successful in your field that it is the direction you should head in. Making your own mark will feel like the greatest success because it’s the journey you’re taking to get there. When you’re working towards your goals, the only person who will show up to do the work is you. It’ll be a whole lot harder to keep working at a goal when you feel no connection to it because it’s something you feel is expected of you. Your goals do not need to please or impress anyone else.
Make Tracking Your Goals Easy…
A key to completing your goals is by using tools to track your progress. Whether you’re using software for task management like Monday or sticking to a to-do list or journal - this is very important because it’ll help keep you accountable. Tracking our goals let’s us celebrate how far we’ve come since we’ve started! It also makes it easier to keep a record of what you’re actually working on. If you see that you’re overloading too much of your work goals and not enough of the personal ones you’ve set aside for yourself, that’s an opportunity to be agile and adjust. There’s so many reasons that organizing your goals benefit you but it’ll absolutely help you reach the finish line for your goals.
Creatives, there’s so much to say on this topic but this guide will help you get started on your goal setting journey! We’re wishing you all the best vibes, you got this!