Welcome to this week’s entry in my mini-series: From Concept to Completion (C2C). I’ve gotten so many emails about the series so far! I’m so glad you are finding value in it. This process has been invaluable for me when I’m trying to get things done.
Quick reminder of where we are in the mini-series. Catch up with an overview of the entire process by reading my blog called From Concept to Completion. Then read The Big Picture and you’ll be completely up to speed.
Today’s focus is on identifying the largest goals of your creative life that will bring the biggest bang for your buck! We talked briefly about a few of them last week.
STEP 2: The “Big Rocks”
This part of the process focuses on specific goals. It’s here where you identify your goals and I’m going to give you a blueprint to help you do just that! Start by identifying 3 (three) top goals. This blueprint is helpful because, when goal setting, you want your goals to be precise. You need them to be SMART. This framework comes from the business world. As the Director of Product Development, we used it to keep our teams on track because business goals need to be measurable. Here’s what SMART means:
- S stands for Specific
- M stands for Measurable
- A stands for Achievable
- R stands for Relevant
- T stands for time-bound
Let’s use my example. Here are the three goals that I mentioned last week. I’m going to distill them a little further and then show you how I use the SMART method:
These were my Big Rocks:
- Release two mixed media collage collections
- Design two surface pattern collections and set up shop on Society6
- Launch my online course three times
For this step, I turn each of these into SMART “rocks” by adding more detail to them using the SMART method. Here’s one as an example:
Mixed Media Collage Collection goal-
- Select “Neutrals in Color” for my first 2022 collection
- Pull the 15 canvases, in various sizes, and get them prepped by X-date
- Decide on the color stories to use with the neutral yarns and pull together the appropriate supplies by X-date
- Write the copy and pricing information for the sales page by X-date
- Contact photographer and web designer and get on their schedule
- Complete the collection by X-date
- Prepare marketing pieces for the collection launch on X-date.
As you can see, I made sure I applied all items from the SMART framework. I selected a specific collection with a specific outcome. I have a measurable number of pieces. My steps in this plan are all achievable and relevant to my Big Picture. I’ve also included any other relevant people or processes and I set a time for completion of the different steps. Now, understand, this is the general plan I put together in step #2.
That’s a lot more detailed, right? As you think through your “Big Rocks’ or goals, break them down into details by following the SMART formula and set deadlines for yourself. This will help you stay on track and when we move to “Step 3: The Resources” next week, this level of detail will come in handy. In that step, you may find areas that you’ll need to change a bit, or you may add more actionable steps into your SMART formula. And, YES, you may have several steps that align with several parts of the SMART framework!
SMART Goals are something we talk about A LOT in Creatively-U Academy in the last half of the course! I can’t wait to see your SMART goals. Share them with us inside Virginia’s Studio Cats, my private Facebook group, or below in the comments.
Putting your SMART goals out there makes them real and allows us to support and help you.
Join me LIVE on my Facebook page, Virginia Leigh Studio, at 3:00 pm Central every Wednesday to ask me questions and talk creativity.
We’ll talk about The Resources next week, where we’ll discuss how to fill in the gaps to make sure you have everything you need to complete your projects!
Become Creatively-U
Find more purpose and meaning in your day!
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