CAUTION: the following question may not be as simple as it looks at first glance. So, really stop to think about it before answering. Here’s the question: what is it that you want to accomplish in your creative lane in 2022? Yep, that’s it. Looks easy enough to tackle until you actually try to tackle it. And then, you realize the logistics on how to really focus in and determine what you need to be concentrating on in order to accomplish your creative goals are a little out of focus.
So, today’s discussion is going to devote some quality time to focusing — focusing on those creative priorities that need some finessing.
I’m not going to pretend to be an expert in this area of placing attention on the right things in order to propel my creative efforts forward. And I’m one of those late bloomers who’s taking more of the slow road to creative growth. Real talk. But, I’m learning a lot on my travels and trying to really absorb as much knowledge and practical application of knowledge as I journey onward.
One of the important lessons I’m learning is that you have to place some concentrated effort in the arena of goal-setting if you want to get something done. Really. I mean I’m aware that there are people who may haphazardly stumble across success in their areas of creative genius — without planning for it even. But the other 99% of us need some type of direction.
And for that 99%, I thought I’d share 3 tips for helping you to focus in on the creative goals that will help you propel your creative efforts forward:
Determine Your Goals
Write out (or type out) what it is you want to accomplish. And those things you want to accomplish become your goals (your to-dos). They can be immediate, one-shot deals or they can be dreams to come into fruition in the future. They can be short-term, long-term, or on-going. They can be one-step to-dos or action items that can only be accomplished through a multi-step process. They can have differing levels of difficulty. They can involve independent work on your part or involve help from others. But all of them have this one thing in common — they require some effort on your part.
So, start some focused effort by setting your goals. You have to determine what those goals look like. And reviewing the following aspects of your creative journey might help you structure your creative goals:
- How can you help (or have you helped) others creatively?
- What are you creatively good at doing?
- What do you creatively enjoy doing?
- What have others paid you for assisting them with?
- What do others ask you for help in doing?
- What do others say you’re good at doing?
- What would you creatively do even if others never recognized you for it?
Oh, and here’s some reading that might help you with determining your goals:
Goal-Setting Process for Writing & More – Step 1: Brainstorming
Goal-Setting Process for Writing & More – Step 2: List-making
Goal-Setting Process for Writing & More – Step 3: SMART Goals
Goal-Setting Process for Writing & More – Step 3: SMART Goals (Cont.)
Set a Schedule
So, here’s another one of those tips that I’ve not mastered yet. I’m a work-in-progress on this one. Always have been and probably always will be. Let’s just say that I won’t be the “Most Likely” to write a book about how to conquer the scheduling dilemma. But, I can write a blog post or two about the importance of having a schedule — especially for those who need some forced structure in their lives (like me) or who tend to procrastinate (like me).
Please never underestimate how vital a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly schedule can be in helping you to achieve your creative (or quite frankly, any type of) goals. Schedules help you to know (or remind you of) the kind of output your days are going to require. They also help keep you on track for making progress toward your accomplishments and meeting milestones along your goal-seeking journey.
So, create your overall schedule to include time you’d like to devote toward working on your creative goals. (You’ll probably need to get a little “creative” with adjusting your current schedule to fit additional to-do items, but you can do it. Use that creative genius of yours.)
And if you only take away one important point that I state about schedules, please note this: Schedules are meant to be followed, not just created. Oh, and you might check out the following readings to help you with creating your schedule:
Goal-Setting Process for Writing & More – Step 4: Scheduling
Hourly & Block Scheduling Tips for a Productive Day
Make a Plan of Action
Be the man or the ma’am with the plan. I promise that having some plan on how you want to attack those creative goals of yours is going to be soooooooo instrumental in creating your process for carrying out the daily work to make those goal-achievement aspirations a reality.
Now, don’t get me wrong. You’ve already done some prep work by determining the creative goals you’ll focus on and, then, determining the amount of time and timeframes (through your schedule) that you have to devote to those goals. But, your plan will actually go even further by encompassing the first two tips and then some. In fact, the comprehensive purpose of your creative plan is to put your process in place for a structured approach toward goal-achievement.
By the way, I’m sure you’ve picked up on the pattern in this blog post. So, you know I’m setting you up for some more reading. Don’t you? And with that, I’ll go ahead and end here by providing you with two blog posts that discuss the benefits of having a plan. Check them out below:
Creative Entrepreneurship Basics: Creative Housekeeping Necessities
Creative Entrepreneurship Basics: Plan and Move
degreesofmaternity.com 
Kat, I totally like your way of doing things. Hands down. I most definitely would like to be more proactive than reactive in my workflow. I think I tend to be forced into GETTING THINGS DONE instead of getting things done on my own terms, more often than not. So, order is most certainly welcomed on my end. I need to develop order by being more structured. It’s a much better way to accomplish things. So, I’m working to get more order/structure in my life. Even though I’m in my middle-aged years, there’s still hope for me. I haven’t given up on myself yet. Order/organization — here I come!
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Honestly, I have no idea what that method is, but, if it’s working, I’m not going to question it! Life is so chaotic and I thrive on order, which is definitely helpful, but I think I also miss out on a lot of the color life has to offer. Really beautiful things can come out of chaos, so, if what you’re able to do comes from it, I wish I could do it your way, too, because I’m always stunned by everything you accomplish!
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Hey Kat – I totally know about the whole planning and goaling thing “blowing up in my face”. Over time, I’ve learned to give myself some grace, because I won’t always be able to stick to the plan. Plans changes. Life happens. And, I figure that some progress in the way of plans or goals is better than no progress at all. But I truly am amazed at all you’re able to accomplish without any formal planning. It just shows that you’ve got a method for GETTING THINGS DONE that works extremely well for you and gets you results. I think that’s awesome. But since I’m a total procrastinator and work more in chaos than in organization, I have to force myself to plan or structure things because I’ll never get anything done unfortunately.
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Well, haha, okay I suppose I’ve always been a planner and I’ve probably written plans and goals at some point in my life, but definitely nothing solid during my adult years. They’ve had a tendency to blow up in my face, though deadlines have helped a lot. I’m often bewildered when I look back at everything I’ve done because I’ve just been going and going, meandering down some road, or probably a lot of roads, but now I’ve decided I really need some direction. For some reason, making a plan to actually accomplish my goals has never occurred to me!
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Yes, I truly enjoy reading the journeys that others are going through, especially in areas that I’m passionate about. Reading others’ experiences helps encourage me in mine. And I wasn’t necessarily thinking of posting your actual novel on the blog (although that’s a great idea and one I’ve used with an unfinished book I started.) I was more so thinking about the writing process itself and sharing your tips and processes for how you get into your writing for the novel. But either method of sharing would definitely be worth your audience’s time. Again, I’m so excited for the possibilities you have before you.
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Thanks for the thought of sharing my writing journey on my blog, although that process has slipped somewhat over the last couple of months. I had not thought of that, but now that you mention it, I might give it a try. Maybe divide each chapter into sections and post it as I go? I will give the idea some thought., even if the idea is somewhat daunting.
Regards, Phil
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Wow, Phil! It looks like you have some monumental life things going on with leaving the high school and getting to work more on your novel. I’m so excited for what your future endeavors have in store for you. Writing is my passion, so I’m thrilled that you’re going to have more time to work on your book. And your plan of execution on how to tackle the writing goals you have before you will come in time. I don’t know if you’re planning on sharing your writing journey on your blog. But if you are, I’d love to follow along on your writing journey. Having a plan to start you off is always helpful and gives you some direction and focus to get you moving on your writing path. However, sometimes, the best plans fall into place as you go.
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Okay, so it’s hard for me to believe that this is the first year you’ve decided to try being goal-oriented, Kat. In fact, I totally don’t know how you’ve managed to do all you do without being as goal-oriented as you already are. I think you’re just being modest about your organizational and goal-setting skills. As a matter of fact, I probably should be asking you to give me some pointers on any future goal-setting posts I write.
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Well, you could not have written this piece at a better time. I am trying to put behind me my schedule I had last year and start anew. I have just given up my many years of assisting at a local high school for some 15 hours a week, and intend to use that time for something quite different. In the last few weeks I have set out an outline of a novel that I wanted to write, and I now have to set my ultimate goal, set a schedule and a plan of action. Procrastination – that is something I do know something about! I have not yet decided on my plan of action yet, but I am getting there. You piece on this subject has certainly got me thinking. Now I will have to put my plans into action.
Damn, that procrastination is getting in the way again!!!!!!!!!!!
Please keep me motivated, I neeeeeeeed it.
Thanks once again.
Regards, Phil
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This is the first year I’ve decided to try to be goal-oriented, so I don’t actually know what I’m doing right now. Your 3rd tip is exactly what I’ve been missing!
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