Game Plan

 

As a continuation from my post last week...  Making plans, taking baby steps, and reminding yourself each day of where you're heading is really important.  The trick is not to write some random goals on the back of a Chinese take-out menu and then just shove it in a drawer and forget about it.  You want to keep the dream alive and in front of you.  Hang your goals on your bathroom mirror, or in your sound booth, or on your fridge.  Just put them where you'll see them daily.  The next step is doing one small task each day toward achieving these goals.  Baby steps.  One email, one phone call, one extra audition.  Whatever it is, just do it.  2014 is just around the corner, but the truth is each day is a new day.  Each moment is a new moment.  And you can hit the re-set button anytime you want.  But ya gotta have a game plan.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself that will help get you off to a good start:  

 

    What did you make progress with in 2013?

    What are you most proud of achieving during 2013?

    What are three goals you want to work toward in 2014? 

    1.

    2.

    3.

   What steps are you going to take to achieve goal #1?  #2?  #3?

    1.

    2.

    3.

So, what’s your #1 goal that seems too big or too scary to even write down?  In other words,   what would blow your mind if you accomplished it?  What do you really want?   

Write that one here:

______________________________________________________________________________

This is a little reminder just for YOU…  Put this where you’ll see it every day.  You got this.   

Baby steps. ;-)

Progress

Can someone tell me where 2013 went? It's December? What? Like they say 'time flies when you're having fun'.  It's been another year of learning and growing for me.   Running a small business requires you to wear a lot hats, but I'm always reminding myself that the overall goal is to be in a constant state of progress.  I also find that "baby" goal setting helps keep me on track and doesn't overwhelm me.  I look back at what my goals were for 2013, and I feel really good about what I've accomplished so far.  Progress, indeed. 

I once read that it's the little extra effort you put in each day that equals the big payoff.  You can make really big things happen when you have a clear idea of what you want.  But you have to define your goals specifically. You can't be vague. Then each day you actually have to put energy toward that specific goal if you truly expect a result.  It's common sense really.  The cool thing is we're talking about a few minutes.  This year I wanted to create many new client relationships.  So each day I took about 15 minutes, and researched production companies in a different city and contacted them.  That wasn't too hard.  And guess what?  I have quite a few new relationships.  I also wanted to be more organized.  So I created a daily checklist for myself.  At the end of each day I cruise through it.  And, presto!  I'm more organized.  I also wanted to start getting more daily exercise.  So I found a walking buddy, (thanks Kirissa) and I force myself to get up at 5:45 Monday through Friday and get a 1 hour power walk in each morning before I start my workday.  These are three examples of changes I made in 2013.  Am I getting results?  You bet I am.  And these are only 3 examples!  

I've discovered that big changes truly come from the little, dedicated steps we take every day.  The 10% of awesomeness required really isn't that difficult.  We owe it to ourselves to do it.  As I grow my business and voice over career I keep myself on track with these little tweaks so I can continue the progress.  Progress feels so good.  The other great news is that you don't have to wait until 2014 to start.  Do yourself a favor and start right now.  What's one little change you can make?  You got this.  Like I said, "baby goals."  They grow up fast and become big accomplishments in no time.