Passion
Choose worthwhile goals. Being passionate about your goals will only make you work that much harder to achieve them. Passion is what drives us and what motivates us. Remember that we set goals to move us forward and incite positive change. Also, keep in mind that your goals should be achievable. One common way to lose motivation in your goals is to make them unachievable.
Be Specific
Being vague in your goal setting doesn’t set you up a for win. It is important to remember when you are goal setting to make sure your goals are specific and narrowed down so that you can create an action plan to help you achieve them.
Make Your Goal Public
Making your goals public can be an effective way to reach them. Not only does it hold you accountable, but it is also a great way to connect with others for motivation and inspiration. If you’re not too keen on sharing your goals publicly, that is certainly ok. Another great option is to share it with a circle of people that you trust! Having a support system can be a huge asset and motivational tool.
Don’t be SMART All the Time!
Most of us have heard of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals when it comes to goal-setting advice. Let’s be honest. . . this is the songwriting industry! SMART goals don’t always apply in this world. There are going to be times when you can throw out the model and make up your own system. No two journeys are alike in this industry. No two goals are achieved using the same model.
The following are great questions to ask yourself when setting your songwriting goals:
- What do I want to achieve as a songwriter?
- What are your songwriting strengths?
- Where are the areas you can improve?
- What do you feel are the biggest challenges you'll need to overcome?
- Where would like to be a year, five years, and 10 years from now?