We Need A Resolution: Goal Setting for the New Year
Ya'll remember when this meme got so much criticism and went viral in 2016?
New Year's resolutions got a bad rep. It’s hard to escape all the subtle shade from the memes and posts complaining about people who will start (and end) their resolutions within the month of January. I get it. You can set goals at any time but, whatever gets people excited about making a change in their life, I’m personally here for it!
While I don’t make a big deal out of setting an epic goal for a new year, I am not new to this. Not only am I the "Playlist Queen" but I believe I’m the Goal Setting Queen as well! It is so important that you have a FLUID plan and idea of something you’re working towards. This makes it easier for you to be intentional about what you do and say yes or no to. This is ESPECIALLY important for artists. We’re always juggling so many projects and emotions so it’s easy to get lost in the sauce. Let’s avoid that mental breakdown this year. :)
With that being said, here are some things you should think about (and do) before the year is up to set some doable goals for 2018.
1. Think about what you need to do to make the next year great
At the end of each year, I always set aside some time to reflect on the past year. What went right and what went horribly wrong? What lessons did I learn? What projects did I neglect that I should continue to work on or ditch for good? What do I want to accomplish in the new year?
This is one of the main reasons why I love making vision boards. I can always look back at my vision board for that year and see where my mind was at at, what I accomplished and what I didn't. That makes this step a little easier. But, if you don't have a previous vision board to reference, I would definitely suggest asking yourself the questions above and then writing your answers down somewhere.
2. Write the vision, make it plain
Okay, now you should have a couple of sentences that gives you a snapshot of the year and what you would like to accomplish in the next. If you're a planner like me, then it's easy to overwhelm yourself with minuscule details and to dos. Let's try to not focus on that, at least not for this exercise. Take those sentences you wrote out for the first step and condense them into short concise phrases.
Instead of focusing in on a very specific thing like...releasing your debut album on March 23rd, for an example, instead, write that you would like to release a debut album spring 2018. See how much pressure you can take off of yourself with two word changes? While details and release dates are important, they're more so useful when you get into the nitty gritty of a project, not while you're planning your goals for the year.
3. Make a vision board and put it EVERYWHERE
I completely, totally believe that EVERYONE should have a vision board. A vision board is the easiest way to keep your goals front and center throughout the year. There's a couple of websites that help you create one digitally and of course you can use collage apps like Pic Stitch and Canva, but I prefer creating a physical one.
Take the list you made and print/create images that best describe those goals. Get creative and really make your vision board a physical representation of how you would like your year to be. After you do that, put your vision board somewhere you'll see it everyday. If you prefer making a digital one then make it your computer screensaver, your lock screen pic and print it out so you can hang it somewhere.
This will serve as a daily remainder of what you're working towards!
4. Do the work!
This is probably the most important step that most people forget. Yes, you can set goals all day long but you won't see results if you don't change your current habits! Make small changes daily to support your new vision for 2018 and stick to it the best you can!
5. Remember, nothing is set in stone
We're setting goals for the unforeseeable future. There's no telling what situations and/or opportunities might come up. One thing can completely shift your whole path and half the goals you set can become completely irrelevant! This doesn't mean that you shouldn't fully commit, but instead, you should give yourself the room and space to make mistakes, reevaluate and adjust as needed!
Hopefully there was something in this post that inspires you to get started on your plan for 2018! As always, fellow artists, lets continue to support and be there for each other and regardless of the obstacles, we gonna be ALRIGHT!
-Elle.