Goal Setting for Creatives
Today I'm talking about setting goals. I want to discuss why we resist setting goals as creatives, different ways that you can conceptualize setting goals, and some tips and tricks to help you as you think about your next project. So, hopefully it's easier to set goals that feel doable and achievable and that you look forward to.
If this sounds interesting to you, please stick around because this is going to be a good one. Let's get into it.
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Resistance to goal setting as creatives
Let's start off by discussing resistance to goal setting as creatives. I think it's no secret that so many of us resist the idea of planning and setting goals when it comes to our creative work, because it sounds boring. We usually think of corporate, job, boring, chore… These are all negative associations that we want nothing to do with, especially when it comes to our creativity.
But I think this is only one way to look at goals and it makes sense because most of our experience with goal setting comes from jobs (at places that we don't like) where we have to set arbitrary goals that don’t resonate with our strengths or interests. This is usually our point of reference.
We also struggle because we think that setting goals will only stifle our creativity. This is because we tend to associate creativity with openness, freedom, experimentation, curiosity, and daydreaming, so planning feels a little bit left field and not very exciting. We think that we’ll end up overplanning and thinking too much about stuff, which is only going to kill our creative genius.
Then, we also wrestle with fear of failure. How many of us have set lofty goals in the past, only to fall short? This is one of our worst fears. We wonder, what's the point of setting goals if I am not going to achieve them? Why bother spending the time and dreaming up all these amazing ideas…if I know I might not be able to do them.
This is totally understandable and it makes sense. I think we have all been there at one point or another. These are the kinds of experiences we have as our reference points for setting goals. And, we use them to keep ourselves from taking risks and staying discouraged.
The importance of setting goals in your creative practice
So, why bother setting goals? Well, as I have talked about in previous episodes of the show, our modern society is obsessed with external measures of success and the myth of the overnight success. We have forgotten that it takes work to achieve things, to do things that are meaningful. We want immediate results and instant gratification!
This is why we lose sight of why we do the things that we do (or have done in the past) as creatives. I want to remind us of the actual reason for setting creative goals, which is not just for the sake of having something to check off at the end of the year. The whole purpose of setting goals is— to set a vision for where you want to go.
An analogy that I like to think about and use is the one of being a loose leaf. Imagine you’re a loose leaf, flying in the wind, directionless, this is what you look like when you don’t set any goals. Versus, having a GPS and having a general idea of where you're trying to go. Sure, there might be some deviations along the way, maybe a street might be closed and you’ll have to take a different route, but generally, you know where you're trying to go. This is what it is like when you set goals.
I think that the part where so many of us go wrong is where we don’t leave enough space for us to work with our intuition. We don’t account for the changes that can happen between the time we set a goal to the time it takes to achieve it. Life changes, circumstances change, and even our own desires change too. So, it’s really important to have room for flexibility and to adjust as we figure out how we want to move along once we start to make progress with our goal.
I have also heard people talk about not setting goals at all. And, I wanted to mention this here because I think there is a time and a place for this approach. For example, once you are clear on how you want to approach your creative practice and what you’re trying to achieve, it makes sense to let go of the rules. It's like anything, right? Once you learn the rules, then you know when to break them and how.
But in the beginning, I think it’s really important to establish good habits and set goals to give your career and your creative practice direction. Forget about external validation or anything else, this is for your own sake.
Different Goal Types
Now, let's explore different types of goals you can set. Below is a list of each type, along with a brief description to give you ideas of what’s possible and how you may want to prioritize each. You may even want to research each type further to learn more.
Long-term goals - As the name implies, these are long term visions or aspirations and can take several years to complete. Examples include: writing a book, giving a TED talk, or traveling to every state across the country.
Short-term - These goals are short lived, they can take anywhere from weeks, months, to a year to complete. Examples include: building a new website, creating a logo, writing a proposal.
Process-oriented - These types of goals are focused on specific actions and behaviors, the focus is more on the how rather than the what. Examples include: writing for 30 minutes, practicing a new skill every day, or sketching daily.
Personal Goals - These goals cover personal development, health, and in general life satisfaction. Examples include: nurturing relationships with friends, going out for walks, or cooking more.
Professional Goals - These goals are all about career growth, skill development, or professional achievements. Examples include: getting a certification, growing your business, or landing a promotion.
When setting goals, you might already have an idea of what you want to work on, which could fall into one of these categories. Alternatively, you may decide to set a goal in each area. Either way works, but the key is understanding how these categories apply.
Understanding the difference between projects, tasks, and habits in goal setting
Understanding the difference between these different types of activities can make a big difference in your project planning and goal setting. When I first learned the difference between these activities, it made a big difference for me because I started to realize why certain things took longer than others.
Let’s look at the differences below using the example of writing a book to understand how each of them works.
Projects - A plan with a specific outcome. For example: writing a book.
Tasks - These are the concrete steps needed to complete a project.
For example: proofread pages 1 - 5.Habits - These are ongoing and repeatable activities, sometimes referred to as practices, rituals, or routines. For example: write for 15 minutes every other day.
Hopefully, now that I went over this list, you can start to get a better sense for what each of these activities is all about and where it makes sense to apply them. You might even realize that you have been working on a project that should have been more of a habit or a task that should have been a project and vice versa. Understanding the differences can really help you to transform how you approach goal setting.
Because one of the things that I've noticed a lot of creatives (and even people in general) struggle with is gauging how much time things take. And sometimes we want to do more than what we actually have time for. So, we really need to learn to break things down in a way that is achievable. This can also help us to set proper expectations and help us to avoid unnecessary frustration when things start to take longer than we might have anticipated.
So, thinking about the differences between these different types of action steps can give you clarity and confidence when it comes to planning.
Putting it into action
Now, let's talk about simple action steps that you can start to take as you think about your next creative goal. These are general ideas and tips to help you start changing the way you think about setting goals. Hopefully, these ideas and approaches will help you to feel more empowered and excited about what you want to do in the future.
Observe how you’re doing goals currently and notice what’s working and what isn’t. Often, the best first step in solving any problem is simply increasing our awareness of it before jumping into solutions.
Experiment with different ways of setting goals to help you find something that resonates with you. You might even want to combine aspects of different techniques to make your own. Remember to experiment with a bunch of different approaches until you find something that works for you and understand that this will take time. Just because something worked for someone else it doesn’t mean it will work for you. Don’t just follow ideas blindly. Train yourself to be okay with experimenting and learning what works for you and set proper expectations accordingly.
Let go of the need to crush goals and overachieve. This mindset often stems from trying to work like neurotypicals or those with a narrow focus. But for us multi-passionates and people with neurodivergence, this approach simply doesn’t work. Our interests are too vast and wide. A better approach is simply to set loose milestones to help you stay in motion and make progress towards completing our desired creative projects.
A quick note if you're wondering about the difference between completing and overachieving a goal: completion means meeting the necessary requirements, while overachieving involves exceeding those expectations.Establish a simple system to track your progress. One of the values that I live by is simplicity, especially when it comes to tracking my progress. There is no point in having complex systems for the sake of complexity, if we're not going to use them or if we’re going to be overwhelmed by them. So, I live by simplicity, ease of use and accessibility.
For example, I’ve tried so many organizational systems. Everything from bullet journaling, vision boards, spreadsheets, you name it. And, I always end up going back to my good to-do list and calendar or some version of this. I like this system because I can access both things on the go with my phone. I have my to-do list/checklist on a Google Doc and I can look at it no matter where I am. So, I recommend you to do something similar, accessible and easy to use.Don’t overdo it. This is a reminder not to go overboard with goals. The purpose of setting goals is to provide enough direction to keep you motivated without causing stress or overwhelm. By setting a small number of goals and completing them, you'll feel more excited to set new ones, while also giving yourself time to assess your progress.
Personally, I like to set annual goals. I tend to think about one goal per month and I reassess by mid-year. By now, I have enough experience to know that setting too many goals at the beginning of the year doesn’t always make sense. Because by mid-year things have changed. I’ll probably be interested in new things or just want to do something I hadn't really thought about before.
So, starting with setting six major goals at the beginning of the year really works for me. Then, setting new goals by mid-year makes more sense and this way my goals still feel relevant.
Let’s Recap
Today, we talked about
Reasons we resist goal planning as creatives
Some key reasons it’s helpful to set goals and plan
Different goal types
Understanding the difference between projects, tasks, and habits, and
Simple tips to help you plan your next creative goal
In short, set creative goals that excite and inspire you, rather than ones that feel like a chore. This way, you'll stay motivated to move toward your desired direction and bring your creative vision to life.
Need personalized support?
If you’re struggling to set creative goals, need a simple way to get organized, or want personalized support to get clear on what you should be working on next, let’s connect!
Schedule your free discovery session today and take the first step towards a more enjoyable creative practice and life!
Renata is a creativity coach empowering neurodivergent and multi-passionate women of color creatives to overcome creative blocks with therapeutic art making and strategic planning so they can create with ease and achieve their creative goals. She’s currently offering a free copy of her therapeutic art making workbook when you sign up for her email list. Sign up here to get your free copy.
