The power of Goal Setting: A Foolproof Plan for Reaching Your Music Aspirations Faster (II)

By pushing yourself, through advance planning, to head off in a specific direction – whatever direction that is – you create the opportunities from which real success can be realised. By waiting for things to happen, though, you set the stage for inaction and apathy. That’s why setting goals for yourself and your music career is so important.

What follows are 11 helpful tips for getting the most out of goal setting:

1) Decide specifically what you want

Before you set out to conquer your goal, you have to know what you really want. Do you have a clear idea of what you’re going after? Vague concepts about someday succeeding in the music business lead to vague, weak actions in attaining them.

However, detailed target goals – such as selling 3,000 units of your CD, playing 10 gigs a month, making at least $20,000 in the first quarter of next year – keep you focused and on track.

2) Visualise what you want as if you already have it

To be truly successful with goal setting, you must have a clear picture of the eventual outcome in your mind. Close your eyes and imagine what it would be like to reach the goal (or goals). Immerse yourself in that picture and deeply feel the sensations. What would it look, sound, feel, taste and smell like if you were already in that enviable position? Locking in these mental images will set you on an unstoppable course.

3) Write down your goals

Don’t keep goals only in your head. Put ink to paper and commit them to a solid form. Writing down your goals adds another element of conviction to your intent to reach them. All of my accomplishments – publishing a music magazine, writing books, putting out independent CD releases – started as notes to myself jotted down in a notebook. Don’t overlook the power of the pen.

In fact, I encourage you to take this a step further and set aside 20 to 30 minutes every day to write your goals and ideas in a notebook. Use these sessions to brainstorm new ways to promote your music, find solutions to current business problems, or craft lyrics to an original song. Whatever you do, spend time writing – then apply the things you’ve written to reach your goals.

4) Make a list of what’s in it for you

This is the fun part. Compile a list of ways you will benefit from achieving each goal. Will you be rewarded with recognition, self-fulfillment, money, fame or creative expression? By listing these benefits in detail, you examine your true motivation for wanting each goal in the first place. Sometime you may discover the reasons that drive you aren’t the most productive (such as being lured by the prospect of making gobs of money, even though your heart isn’t really into it).

However, when you have a goal that’s fuelled by a genuine desire and true belief in your ability to attain it and enjoy the benefits, you’ll be energised and ready to take on the challenges.

5) Anticipate the obstacles you’ll encounter

Make no mistake about it, there will be bumps along the road to reaching your goals. You will encounter things that go wrong, people who disappoint you, and schedules that move slower than you’d like. But don’t let any of these obstacles stop you! Just try to anticipate some of the difficulties you’ll face, then imagine and plan for how effectively you’ll deal with them when they arise.

Example: For five years, one music commentator organised an annual music conference in the Midwest called the St. Louis Regional Music Showcase. He says it was an enormous undertaking, and every year he had to gather a team of volunteer organisers who helped pull off the event. Without fail, every year one of his assigned organisers bailed out close to the event date, leaving that aspect of the conference in disarray.

He says it was frustrating, but it seemed to be the nature of the beast. Instead of getting too upset about it, he either found a replacement or ended up doing the job himself (not always an attractive option). But since he had mentally prepared himself for this possibility, he was able to find a way to work through it. Plan on doing the same thing along the road to reaching your goals.

6) Identify the people and resources you’ll need

Start gathering information on the people, tools and information sources you may need to reach your goals faster. These might include nightclubs, websites, recording studios, music sales outlets, bloggers, podcasters, video production people, music conferences, booking agents, radio stations, magazines, graphic designers, producers, etc.

Compile this list of contacts from music business directories, online searches, and by networking with other musicians. Plus, you should always keep your eye open for new sources to add the list – newspapers you pick up in other cities, music associations you read about, new resources you come across on the internet, etc.