So I've been giving a free Q&A session on Facebook each month for a bit now and it has been so much fun to connect with new and old friends. In January's Q&A I was asked if I have goals for this year, or the last five years and how do I set them? The whole idea of goal setting is such a driver in my art and business process, I don't know why I hadn't thought of sharing it with you before now. The short answer is: I DO! And that's exactly how I feel about setting goals. They help me get things done.
I'm gonna let you into my head and into my phone for just a minute to talk about my "Reminder's App". I'm so happy Apple calls it the reminders app, because it not only reminds me of the goals that I want to get done, but it also helps me remember what I've already achieved. This is so useful. Typical, high strung, people-overachievers-you might call us, tend to get hard on themselves when they haven't met their own expectations. You can imagine what a waste of time and energy it would be to give yourself a hard time, when you could be using that energy to actually meet your goals. The Reminder's App helps me recognize just how far I've come with the "Show Completed" button.
Do You Really Want a Horse?
How do I actually achieve my goals? First, I dream. That is to say, as an artist I employ one of the oldest tools in the shed, my imagination. I pretend I've already done it and I allow myself to imagine how different my day to day life would be. I try to really feel what achieving the goal would make me feel and I take at least a day or two to do this little acting gig. The most valuable part of setting a goal is knowing if that goal is really what you want. In order to truly know if that is what I want, I investigate the ins and outs of the idea and then use my imagination. That's right folks-I'm faking it to make it, every day.
I once thought I really did want to own a horse. I imagined I'd keep her here in my backyard. She'd be white as snow, like a unicorn. I'd feed her apples and pet her nose. So I did a little investigating on the cost, the care involved, on whether I could have a horse on my property. How much room would she actually need? How much time would I really get to spend feeding her apples? Would she be outside all winter? Would I need to build her a stable? I think you can guess that I didn't actually buy a horse. For the few times a month where I would truly have the time to enjoy her, I'd spend countless hours and dollars caring for her properly. It took less than a day to know I didn't really want to own a horse. I just want to stop when I see one and feed it an apple.
What If You Really Do Want It?
So you've sat with the idea and it fits. You really do want a horse? Just kidding. You really do want to become a professional artist? Okay, that I know about. Be really specific in your goal. What kind of professional artist do you want to be? What would your day to day look like? How many hours do you want to work? How much capital, aka money, do you have to help you sustain your living expenses while your new business gets off the ground? How comfortable are you with talking about yourself? About your work? About your prices? Are you computer literate? Are you social media savvy? Are you capable of working even if you are distracted, upset, sick? How good are you with numbers, money and taxes? Do you have a space(s) you can dedicate to your studio, your stretching, framing and shipping, and your administrative work? Is your work space in your home? Are you able to set boundaries with your friends, relatives and/or spouse and children so that, though you are home, they perceive you as truly at work?
When you begin to ask yourself these kinds of questions, you get to the nitty gritty of the steps you'll need to take to get closer to your goal.
Your To Do List Just Got Real
Each of the answers to your questions will help you understand what to put on your "To do" list.
To accomplish your goal of becoming a professional artist you'll need to be task oriented and self driven. No one is there to work your shift for you if you're ill. You don't have a boss or fellow employee to blame if you miss a deadline. Your taxes are due, even if you drained your bank account. Working backwards from your goals through an elaborate scenario of questions and answers will help you create thorough "To Do" lists and help you solve problems before they become problems.
Get Real, Get Help
The next stop on the train to Achieved Goal Ville is to assess your "To Do" list and get help with the items you cannot do yourself. Running any business is not one person's job, it is like 10 people's jobs. An art business is no different. You however, are the Chief Operating Officer, not just the Creator. You have to know who the other department heads are and manage them, just like any other business owner. I manage my own Public Relations and Marketing departments. This blog is part of that department. I do not manage my own Accounting. That doesn't mean I don't have tasks to do for that department, it just means a more capable numbers girl does the heavy lifting. Why? Because another cornerstone of achieving your goals is setting realistic ones. If my business depended on my ability to count or calculate, it wouldn't be a business for long.
Not all help has to cost money. This blog and the Q&A Facebook Group are free. Today, anyone with access to the internet can get free information and even free education on almost any topic. The most successful business people are tenacious and insatiable learners. They don't wait to be told, they go and find the answers they need. Like you! You've made it to the end of this free blog and that goes to show what self starter you are! Good on you!
