As 2013 is winding down it’s a great time to start thinking ahead to the new year. December is usually a very busy month with holiday gigs, social events and finishing touches on projects, but I find that it’s also the perfect time to start creating my plan for the upcoming year. That way, on January 2nd I can hit the ground running!
Here are 5 things you can do right now to help make 2014 your best year yet!
1) Take some time to look back at 2013 and acknowledge, REALLY acknowledge your accomplishments. Most of the time we are so focused on the things that we have yet to accomplish that we forget to give ourselves a good ole’ pat on the back for the things we HAVE accomplished. It doesn’t matter how small you may think these accomplishments are, give yourself a little credit. Write a list and then look it over. Better yet, get on the phone with a friend and read him or her the list.
2) Set some goals for the coming year, VERY specific goals, and assign dates to them. Here are some examples:
- By the end of February I will have booked 10 new gigs
- By March 1st I’ll have 12 new songs written and ready to record
- This year I’ll make $X from my music
3) Once you’ve set these very specific goals you can back up on the calendar and figure out exactly what you need to do, and by when, to make these goals happen. For example, what do you need to do to get those 10 gigs booked?
- Research venues/booking agent info – Have a list by Jan 2
- Submit materials to venues/booking agents – by Jan 6
- Follow-up calls – Beginning Jan 13
4) Create a work schedule that allocates time for all your activities (both professional and personal) so that you actually get things done! This can be an online calendar or a simple handwritten one. I like to color code mine. Once you’ve created the calendar, stick with it! Here’s an example of my calendar:
This is just an example, though it represents a relatively typical week for me. Some weeks are heavier on the songwriting, gig schedule and others lean more heavily toward seeing clients and working on marketing and promotion. Regardless, once I’ve put it in the schedule, I make sure to stick to it.
5) Do something everyday, no matter how small a something it may seem to be. Goals really are achieved one step at a time.
A few added thoughts:
- Don’t panic if you miss a deadline. If and when that happens, simply set a new deadline and then do everything you can to meet that one.
- Be kind to yourself.
- Know that as you move through the year, your goals may shift around. Unexpected opportunities may come along and you’ll want to be able to take advantage of them.
Over the next few months I’ll be sharing with you some specific and very effective strategies for taking your musical endeavors to the next level this year, so stay tuned!
Until then I wish you a magical holiday season and all the very best in the new year!
Great post Jennifer!
Love the color coding:) Another tip I find helpful is to break down your year in 60 day increments. What would you like to accomplish in the next 60 days? Usually people can picture life 2 months out, but much further and it gets harder to visualize.
Also helps to have an accountability buddy. “Hey, did you book that gig you said you were going to try for?” etc.
Thanks for keeping us on our toes Jennifer.
Love how you start off with acknowledging all you’ve done. So often we get so stuck in how long the to-do list (it’s never-ending!) and for get to look at our DONE list. I just did mine for the last 60 days, and I must admit I was pretty impressed. Also, love breaking down a big goal or project into baby steps. Thanks!
Deb and I start our next year planning at a fall retreat each year where we tackle our last quarter plans and then look at our long range vision for the next coming year. That way, we aren’t trying to do our Christmas shopping, finishing up our last minute client projects and trying to plan our next year all at the same time! We go into the the holiday season already confident about what the new year is going to look like and where we need to be by the beginning- and end- of the first quarter. Much less stressful! And yes- we celebrate our accomplishments too! VERY important!
Jennifer great tips!
Yes, strategically planning and writing done your future actions gets you that much closer to making things happen. I also find that placing those actions on my future calendar creates a goal that helps it seem more tangible verses being just a fleeting thought. And you’re so spot on about doing small things every day. I love making my to-do list into a done list. Every small accomplishment adds up to a larger one at the end, doesn’t it?
Thanks for the tips Jennifer! I have never quite mastered #4, and I think it is key part in my way of the success that I know is possible. I’m rather random to setting certain client days feels a challenge, and I know I can do if I anchor into the dream I want enough. Anything is possible!
I love teamwork.pm.com software for scheduling tasks. I still haven’t totally implemented it yet but we’ve been using it for James’ blog progression that he explained in Elevate. I have to move all the tasks my assistant and I are working on into it as we’re doing so many things it’s the best thing for getting work done and being accountable to each other. I think there’s also one for Mac also.
I love #5! That has saved me from a lot of self-crit when I didn’t make those vague goals that I hadn’t written down! Ha ha. Also, those little steps allowed me to progress while working FT, when my ‘running mate’ got sick and stayed home for three days, throwing off my schedule… that kind of thing. And I love the color coded handwritten calendar. Thank you for this, I’m going to take time to do #1 right away. xx Angela
What a great list, Jennifer! Planning, being specific and giving our Selves a pat on the back are super important elements to success! Thanks so much for sharing your genius! Happy Holidays to you, too!