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A Simple 5-Step System for Reaching Your Creative Goals · The Daily Writer

• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome everybody to the Born to Create podcast.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Kent Sanders, and I'm your host.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm an author, musician, and teacher.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: But most importantly, I'm a husband and a dad.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Here on the show we talk about practices, habits, and strategies that help us live out our creative calling.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 10, and today we're going to be talking about a simple five-step system for reaching your creative goals.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: You can find the post that accompanies this episode, as well as all the links at KentSanders.net slash creative goals, and that's creative dash goals.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: We're almost into February now, but the idea of goals is still on many people's minds.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: January has come and gone, but it's never too late to think about what you want to accomplish in the coming year.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Let's do a little bit of math.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: What if you spent just one hour every weekday working on a major creative project or goal?
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Over the course of a year, that adds up to over two hundred and fifty hours or over six forty hour work weeks.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: What could you do with the equivalent of an extra six weeks over the next year?
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: You could write a book, read a bunch of books, start a business, get healthier, learn a new creative skill, plan an overseas trip, write a musical, start a podcast, or any of hundreds or even thousands of other possible things.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: One thing that I always like to keep in mind is this any goal that improves my life also improves my creativity.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: Any goals that are related to my health, finances, relationships, spiritual growth, family, or another area that enhances my life is also going to help me be more creative.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: And in that sense, any positive goal is also a creative goal because it's going to in turn hanter creativity.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: So how do you take a whole year and use it to its full advantage?
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: How can you make your vision a reality?
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: Over the last couple of years, I've used a very simple five-step system for creating and tracking my goals, and I encourage you to review these steps and use what works for you.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, set goals that stretch you but are realistic.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: When I think about my annual goals, I try to aim for 25% more than what I think is realistic.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: This way the goal is still in the realistic range, but it'll stretch me beyond what I think is possible.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: And by the way, for a great book on goal setting, check out Ready Aim Fire, a practical guide to setting and achieving goals by Jim Woods and Eric Fisher.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: There's a link to that book in the blog post.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: I shoot for five to seven major goals every year.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: Any fewer than that, and it's not much of a challenge.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: Any more than that, and I think you begin to set yourself up for failure because you're trying to focus on too many different things at once.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, write down your goals where you can see them often.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: A goal is not really tangible until you write it down.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: I keep a list of my goals in the Evernote app, which I'm a huge Evernote fan, and I use it literally dozens of times every day, it seems like.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: I have a separate note for every goal, and I include the specific goal, for instance, lose 20 pounds by June 30th, as well as my motivations for achieving the goal.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: For instance, I want to lose 20 pounds because I will feel better, look better, and have more energy for my work and my family.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: I keep a list of all my goals in an Evernote notebook called Goals, which is, you know, a pretty creative title.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: I also have a shortcut to this notebook up at the top of the Evernote app, so I can quickly access it on my laptop and my phone.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: The tool isn't important.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's not about Evernote or using whatever productivity tool.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's really about doing what works for you.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: The important thing is that you write down your goals and why you want to achieve them.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, track your progress and adjust as necessary.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Every week on Sunday afternoon or Sunday night, I do a weekly review of my goals.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: I don't make progress on all my goals every week.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: And in fact, sometimes I fail pretty miserably.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: That's okay because at least I know where I stand in relationship to the overall goal.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: Every week I have some kind of specific target for most of these goals.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: And again, I don't work on every goal every week, but I work on most of them most weeks.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: For instance, it might be losing two pounds for a specific week, writing a certain number of words, or having a date night with my wife.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: I write this down in Evernote so it's a concrete target.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: I review my goals several times a week and I make adjustments as necessary.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: I also establish targets one or two months in the future for specific projects, such as a book launch or an online course I need to finish.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: Number four, get support and accountability from friends.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: You'll reach more of your goals if you share your progress with others.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Being a part of a mastermind group has been very important in helping me make progress toward my goals.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: Every Monday morning when we meet, I walk through the goals that I set for the past week, any progress I made toward them, or any failures that I had, and what I plan to do in the coming week.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's really important to have a supportive team who will encourage you to be your best, but who will also challenge you to reach higher than you would on your own.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: Number five, make a little progress every day.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: Darren Hardy, who is the publisher of Success Magazine, wrote a great book called The Compound Effect.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: The essence of the book is that successful people make positive incremental changes and over time those changes produce huge results.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Remember that success is a marathon and not a sprint.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: When you see other people who have been really successful, remember that they have worked for years to get where they are.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: They've put in the time and are reaping the rewards of their effort.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: Don't get discouraged when you see the distance between where you are and where you want to be.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: Success isn't a destination that exists in the future.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: Success happens every day when you make good choices that propel you toward a better future.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: Every single day counts.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, all that you have are days.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: Your life is just a collection of years, and a year is just a collection of three hundred and sixty-five days.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: Make every day count.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: When Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel, he started out with a detailed plan.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: So what's your plan?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: As an artist, you value creativity, fresh ideas, and being spontaneous.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: But inspiration is worthless unless you follow it up with some kind of action.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: These five steps make up a system that's simple, but it's certainly not easy.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Why?
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: Because nothing worthwhile is ever easy.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: But over the course of a year, you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you set goals and make steady progress toward them.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: So do you have a goal setting process?
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: How has it worked for you so far?
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to hear your thoughts.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: You can join the conversation and find the post and the links that accompany this episode at KentSanders.net slash creative goals, and that's creative dash goals.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: When you visit my site, you'll find all kinds of great resources to inspire your creativity.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'd also love to share a gift with you when you subscribe to my newsletter.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: You can check it out and learn more about my books, writing, and services at KentSanders.net.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to connect and you can tweet me at Kent Sanders, and you can find me on Facebook and Instagram as Kent Sanders.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: I hope that you'll also check out our Born to Create Facebook group by visiting KentSanders.net slash Facebook group.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, remember that you were born to create and designed to make a difference.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: What will you do with the time you have left?