I continue to be surprised by folks reading my blog. THANK YOU ALL! :) So I keep on writing...
I use this blog to do a number of things. One of them is share helpful things taught to me over the years. Its not all original knowledge but my goal is to share with you so that the information is fresh in my mind as well. In other words, teach once learn it twice. Today we are going to talk about how to get the most out of YOU and in turn the most out of your year. Its all about goal setting.
Like I said, not new information. What might be different for those of you who do set goals is the way that I have been taught to go about it. I first started setting formal goals at the end of my Sophomore year heading into my Junior year in high school. When I look back on that first year I did it, I accomplished more things in that year that I did in my previous years. Not that I didn't do anything positive, but I certainly lacked the focus that comes along with having a set of goals that you are shooting for. As for the format, I set S.M.A.R.T. goals for myself every year. For my goals to qualify as such, they have to fulfill the criteria taught to me and refined by other mentors over the years. The goals must be:
Specific: Your goals must be as specific as possible. This is the beginning of focusing your efforts towards what you really want. IE don't say "I want to get in better shape", say "I want to lose 20lbs"
Measurable: You must be able to measure your progress towards the goal and know when you have arrived there. It could be number of lbs lost of amount you want to put in savings.
Attainable: The goals must be something you can do. If you want to win a gold medal in the Olympics next year and its not an Olympic year, that's a pointless goal.
Related to your career: If you are an actor, and you have 10 goals and only 1 of them is related to acting either your career is going so well that you can focus on other things or you aren't serious about acting. Whatever your chosen life focus is, the majority (but not all) of your goals should take you in that direction
Time sensitive: Goals need deadlines. I usually work in month, 6 month and 1 year increments. Making it time sensitive gives you a sense of urgency while you are attacking your goals. That's right, I said attack your goals. I put them up with a date of 1 year for the master list
Think about what you want to accomplish this year and run your goals through these concepts. Do they fit? They might not fit at first but after some review and introspection, you may get more specific about some of your goals. You might re-examine and discover that your goals, collectively, are not taking you in the direction that you really want to go. That's ultimately the key to this format, you have to get really honest with yourself about what you REALLY WANT in life and put yourself on that path. Oh, and put it in writing!!
You heard me right folks. You MUST write your goals down and post them in a place that you will see them EVERY DAY. This will help keep the goals fresh in your mind. Your bathroom mirror, your closet door...anyplace that puts it right in your face!! Some of you are saying "I keep my goals in my mind" and to you I say BULLS**T. :) When you write it down you invest yourself in the process to accomplish these goals. Those goals will stare back at you daring you to be at your best and finish them. When you are truly working hard towards those goals and you look at them a month in as you are making good progress, you smile and keep working. When your aren't working hard and you look at those goals in bold ink, it holds you accountable and can give you the kick in the butt you need to get back on track. Always write your goals as "I WILL". If in your mind you believe you will, YOU WILL!
Set your goals BIG! You can do more than you think. Go after these goals and make sure to congratulate yourself when you accomplish them. What are my goals? I'll spare you the full list but for those who want to keep me accountable here are some of my big ones:
*I will get 4 new IMDB credits this year
*I will make 1 appearance on a network TV show
*I will complete writing 3 feature length scripts this year (including re-writes and notes from others)
*I will earn my blue belt in Brasilian Jiu Jitsu
*I will speak and read Brasilian Portuguese fluently
*I will maintain my weight at 225-230lbs
Yes, I look at these and my other goals every morning when I wake up. If you have some goals you want to share with me, please do. We can help keep each other accountable.
Thanks for reading. Here is our quote of the day...
"Some pursue happiness, others create it. Which are you?"
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