{You may want to read Part 1 first, which is a personal ramble on goal setting.}
Do you have a growing list of creative projects you’d like to tackle someday? Are you finding it difficult to move forward with any of them? Well, me too. The start of a new year is a perfect time for us to take stock of where we’re at with our creative dreams and to figure out how– specifically– to undertake a few of them.
The following is a simple creative goal setting process that I cobbled together from various sources and what worked best for me. This process helped me get specific about what I really want to do and realistic about what I can actually accomplish in the near-term. It also helped me work through my feelings of lost inspiration and lost freedom that came from thinking I had to pick some activities at the exclusion of others.
Let’s keep in mind that the big picture goal is about having a wonderful life. Our goals don’t need to be rigid, inflexible things– we write them down to serve our own happiness. If they don’t serve us, we can reevaluate and reconfigure them. Setting goals gives us the motivation and direction to move forward, and moving forward in any direction will help us grow and evolve as people. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t get a better reason to set a goal than that.
The Process
1) Get Quiet: Before you start setting your goals, spend a little time quieting down your busy mind. You don’t want to make big decisions about your life when you’re feeling anxious, compulsive or distracted. Go on a hike in the hills or sit down and meditate, being open to the sights and sounds around you, your breathing, your body and what’s going on in your head. Gently let go of your constant stream of thoughts until you can find a quiet space between them. This will help you refresh your mind so you can think more clearly and, as studies have shown, more creatively.
2) The Big List: Start by writing down all of the creative goals or projects you’ve been dreaming of pursuing. Don’t think too much– just write. Try to keep your ideas as simple and specific as possible.
3) The Smaller List: Once you have your big list, look over it and circle the few projects that make your heart sing. Which ones do you really want to do? These are the ones you’ll be most likely to work on, and therefore are the most achievable. Once you’ve circled these, do the initial gut check about which projects might actually be doable this coming year. You may need to break up a big project into smaller parts and tackle only the first steps. You may need to choose one project over another.
4) What, Who, When, How, Why, Where: Analyze each goal or project to make sure it is specific, doable and something you really want by asking What, Who, When, How, Why and Where. Write down your thoughts as you start to clarify your projects. Don’t let this step overwhelm you—there aren’t any right or wrong answers here. You’ll probably revisit each of these answers a couple of times as you figure out what you really want to do and what you actually have time for. You might even remove or reconfigure projects as you start to ponder them further.
What? Get specific here about what you want to do and what you can actually accomplish within the next year.
Who? Who will you rely on to get the project done? Is it just you or are others involved? If you will depend on others, how will you engage them? Do you have a backup plan?
When? Start to get specific about how much time: 1) the project needs, and 2) you’ll be able to spend on it.
For my novel editing goal, I ended up with: I will spend 6-8 hours each week doing rewrites and edits.
How? How will you approach your project? What steps will you follow and what style will you use? If you can, start to tie the ‘hows’ and ‘whens’ together so that you can begin to develop a schedule for your work.
Why? What are your reasons for pursuing this project? This can be a good way to get clear about your inspiration. You may end up with a manifesto to help your future self stay motivated, or you may end up feeling less certain about why you wanted to do the activity in the first place. That’s okay, now is a good time to figure this out– you should only take on the project if you really want to do it, because that’s the only way you’ll get it done.
Where? The where of your creative project may not seem critical at this point, but having the right space to use to get your work done will help keep you focused and motivated down the road. Do you do your best creative work in a busy coffee shop, in a shared work room or in a quiet corner? You may need to try out a few spaces before you find the right fit.
5) Evaluate Obstacles: Okay, now’s the time to get honest with yourself about your projects. What are your worries and objections? What are your uneasy, nagging protests? After you have all of your complaints out, write down the reasons why you want to move forward anyway.
And for my retort: Even if no one ever reads what I’ve written, I will still have done something I’ve always wanted to try, and I will learn a lot about writing, creating and myself. I will set up my editing schedule to be doable, even with a demanding workload, and I will just take it one step at a time. A goal doesn’t need to be set in stone. If I move forward and it doesn’t work for me, I can change it. I will be taking action instead of standing still, and, like writing the first draft, I’m sure there will be many lessons and rewards along the way.
Did you talk yourself into staying with your project despite any objections? Good! Are you still feeling just a little unclear or uneasy? Step 6 may help you move forward.
6) Talk it Out: Step number 6 is for those of us who like to have a sounding board before we make big decisions. Present your goals to a partner, spouse or close friend. Offer to trade insights and be a sounding board for their goals as well. Make sure you don’t present your thoughts to someone who tends to be overly critical– you don’t really want someone to criticize your freshly laid plans, do you? If you do, you might want to think a little more about what you really want to do. If you’re like me and you mostly want someone to tell you to “get on with it already,” talking about your goals can help clarify what you’re thinking and establish a support system as you move forward.
7) Calendar Time: Take out a paper calendar or print the next three months from your favorite calendar app. With a pencil and an eraser, start figuring out how you will balance your project’s weekly time commitments with your work, family and other obligations. Your routine may be very straightforward (ie, edit a chapter every Saturday), or it may develop a more complicated pattern as mine did. Now that you have a weekly routine figured out, outline the timing and deliverables you’re expecting over the next three months. Once everything looks fairly stable, enter your tasks into your paper or electronic day planner. Plan to assess your progress in three months to adjust things if you need to and schedule out your activities for the following three months.
All in all, this process helped me figure out what I want to do next and how to get started. I’m a few days in, and I’m already dreaming about my projects at night, looking forward to working on them during the day, and feeling that sense of balance and rightness that comes from pursuing a creative adventure.
Hoping your year is full of creative adventures,
7 Responses
I so much appreciate the timely reminders and the encouraging and practical insights.
I felt myself especially responding to the idea of having a wonderful life — what a concept! I love your pictures, too, and I always look forward to seeing what you’ve created (and I always want a copy!).
Thanks Sarah!
Awww! Thanks to you!
Thanks, Sarah, for sharing a great roadmap for achieving creative (and other) goals.
Thank you Yoli! As my running buddy, you are my co-conspirator for much of this. I’m excited and inspired by your goals this year!
Sarah! This is wonderful! I have similar items as yours on my list of projects, and I too, have felt overwhelmed by them. So thank you for sharing what has worked for you. I will follow your suggestions to clarify my priorities (although I have already taken the first step in moving forward with my first project this year). Writing down concrete goals and setting time aside on the calendar are actually huge steps and a lot harder than it looks! It asks, how serious am I about this?? Hah! I’m looking forward to reading future posts for more insights!
Trish! I was just thinking about you and how you balance your art with your career. Thanks for reading. Let’s catch up sometime.
That’s nice Sarah, that you think I balance my art with my career! I actually don’t, which is why I found your post so helpful. Yes, we should catch up!