Did you know that less than 4% of Americans don't write down their goals? Which is crazy because people who write down their goals make 9 times more money and accomplish more than those who don't. Even though the easy part is setting goals, meeting them is much more likely to happen when you write them down. I come across many up and coming creatives who have a lot of talent and much potential but don't succeed because they don't focus their attention on the milestones they need to hit before they reach their dream goals. Now, don't get me wrong, dreaming big is not the problem—it's not knowing how to get there. If you want to be successful, you have to write down your goals.
I have been doing full time photography in Florida since April of this year and I am amazed at the amount of things I have accomplished in a such a short time. I wholeheartedly believe this is a result of setting goals every few months, reaching them & evaluating how I got there.
The new year is around the corner and now is the perfect time to sit down and think hard about where you want to be in 2017 or even in the next 5 years. I know I am!
Here's 5 tips for setting goals and reaching them:
Be Specific - Define with clarity what your goal is, set a date to complete it by and the steps needed to get there.Dream Big - Write down your dream goals, no matter how silly or 'unreachable' it may seem. Listen to your soul!Deadlines Keep You Accountable - Your goals should have deadlines that are realistic. That doesn't mean that they are easy to achieve—they have to be somewhat challenging & keep you growing. However, sometimes you fail to accomplish them in the timeframe you set for yourself. Don't get discouraged! This is not real failure, just an opportunity to re-evaluate the steps to achieve that goal and it may require more time.Surrender Your List - I believe that God called me to be a business owner and entrepreneur. Ultimately, I want to align with God's will for my business and that might mean that He may have different plans for me as a florida fine art photographer. Make it a priority to be in tune with His voice and lift your goals in prayer.Don't Give Up - When the going gets tough and the achieving your goals feels like an uphill battle, keep going. Share where you are with your goals, whether on your blog or with a friend. The process of verbalizing our struggles helps us put things and perspective and overcome our challenges. You're not alone in this!
Now that you have tips to help you write your goals, these are a few suggestions that helped me this year. Use them as a starting point to begin your journey and add goals relevant to you.
-Blog at least once a month -Update Contracts
-Get a business license and tax ID -Get new branding
-Open a business bank account -Network more
-Pay business bills with business income -Get professional portraits done
-Setup Sales tax -Have a non-wedding session published
-Get a bookkeeping system & an accountant -Read How to Win Friends & Influence People
-Attend a Workshop -Pay for website annually & update portfolio
-Join a local group for creatives -Work with local planners & vendors
-Join a local chamber of commerce -Learn to shoot film & develop your own style
-Convert IG account to business -Create a simple pricing structure
-Offer products -Include tangibles in packages
-Develop relationship with film lab -Learn from a photographer you admire
And of course, here is a printable worksheet to help you get started and tracking those goals!
If there's topics you'd like to see in this section, send me a note!