Setting Goals
Setting goals is an important part of any marketing plan. It gives you a target to aim for, and to measure your success against. Long, medium, and short term goals will all help you stay focused and climb that dream-mountain one goal at a time.
Everyone has a long term goal they dream of achieving. Maybe it’s to be inducted into the hall of fame, or maybe just to be able to focus on your art full time. Either way, your major goal is likely years away and it can be hard to see how to get there. Breaking down your long term goal into medium and short term goals helps make the path look more clear, and feel more doable.
Medium term goals may include getting an exhibition, or being accepted into a national competition. Your time frame could be anywhere between 1-5 years. Short term goals can be anything from making one new work a month, to completing a daily social media challenge, to applying for x amount of opportunities per week. As long as you set a time limit and a specific way to quantify the goal, you’re set!
Track Your Goals
Write down your long term goals at the top of a sheet. Break it down into medium term goals. Break each of those into short term goals. Now you have not only a dream, but a plan. This plan should excite you and keep you motivated. The more you accomplish, even if it’s only a small daily goal, the closer you are to the top.
Tracking your goals can give you perspective. It helps you realize if you are actually going to achieve your next goal in time and step up your game if you fall behind. It also helps you realize how much you achieve just by showing up and putting in as much work as you can. Just because that top goal hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean you’re standing still. Don’t get discouraged by the distant future – it’s what you do in the present that matters. Let the little things sustain you.
Be Accountable
Be accountable to yourself. Don’t let everything slide. Of course there are legitimate reasons why a goal may fall through, such as health issues. Watching “just one more episode” is not one of them. It helps to be accountable to other people, too. This happens when you have a specific show date, or a deadline to apply by, but often we have to make our own deadlines.
If you struggle to meet your own deadlines, you might want to have regular group rehearsals with peers. This will force you to have something ready to share. It also provides a platform for giving and receiving constructive criticism. Making your practice public (or semi-public) provides incentive to keep your goals and make your deadlines. Plus, you get to help your friends keep their goals, and be social at the same time. It’s a win-win-win situation.
Resetting
So, you’ve achieved your goals. What now? You set some more goals, that’s what! Give yourself a healthy pat on the back for all of your accomplishments, and then set your sights on the next big thing. Maybe this means trying to beat your own record, learning a new skill, or starting to teach others. Whatever you decide to do, good luck!