We all know that most New Year’s resolutions don’t stick, and that’s because they’re usually too broad, too general. It’s great to have ambitious goals, but you will likely not achieve them without actionable and measurable goals. At the end of every December, I like to plan out my creative goals for the following year. It’s a therapeutic practice that not only gets me excited but also gives me time and space to reflect on the past year.
Here’s my process:
Start with a BIG Brainstorm
I find it very difficult to know my goals without first sitting down and dumping all my thoughts and ideas down on paper. Often, late into the year, some of my goals have been met, some have been discarded and some have changed. It’s important to evaluate why that happened and what I think that means. I also like to make a list of things for work that I love doing and things I don’t love doing. Think of this as a roadmap to your creative resolutions. You’re providing yourself goals that align with your values. Once I’ve done this brain dump, it’s time for me to start brainstorming what my ideal creative career looks like in the following year. What are the things I hope I accomplish? Once that becomes clear, I will start planning things out.
“SMART” Goals
Who doesn’t love a good acronym? SMART goals are goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This is a key component in any goal setting. By creating SMART goals, I’m providing myself clarity and motivation to achieve them. Head to this post to learn more about how these steps are broken down.
Mark Your Calendar
To stay on top of my goals, I like to mark the more attainable steps down into my calendar. I also like to schedule rewards.
For example:
Let’s say one of my goals is to take more photos with my nice camera every month. First, I will set myself a reminder to take a photo every day. If I do this for the entire month, maybe I treat myself to an outing to take photos of the beach or a landscape. If I do this consistently for a few months, maybe I treat myself to a new camera lens.
These things in unison help me stay motivated and excited about my goals.
