018: Purpose and Flexibility (Goal Setting for Creatives, Part 1 of 2)

Goals and goal-setting are sometimes really hard for creatives. I work with a lot of artists who struggle to set goals within their creative work. They want the freedom to pursue any project that strikes their fancy, and they’re afraid that establishing a formal business plan or writing set of strategic goals within their business will keep them from accepting work they would enjoy. Or sometimes I encounter a creative who has tried goals in the past, only to have those goals languish in a drawer or computer file somewhere – they’re not quite sure where – never to be looked at again, and certainly never to be achieved.

If you’re a creative who has struggled with goals and goal-setting, I hope you’re willing to give it one more try. I’ve got two mindset shifts around goals that I think will make a big difference to how you see the role of goals within your creative business. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why identifying the purpose that underlies your business goals is essential to actually completing those goals.
• How crafting a set of strategic business goals can contribute to your life and work as a creative entrepreneur.
• What flexibility means in terms of your business strategy.
• How to adjust if you realize you aren’t going to be able to achieve one of your business goal.
• What to do when you realize that your business goals are no longer serving you or your creative business.

In this episode, I reference the Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, and Wikipedia definitions for the word "goal." I also discuss this episode of the podcast Hidden Brain, and I read a brief excerpt from 26 Marathons by Meb Keflezighi.

In addition, I reference several previous episodes of this podcast: 

•  007: Working in your Creative & Financial Sweet Spot (Episode 3 in the 4-Part "Time & Income" Series)
• 011: Mindset, Strategy, and Action
• 014: Begin with the End in Mind

I also mention Starving & Panicked No More: Business Strategy and Text Breakdown for the Thriving Actor, my upcoming in-person workshop in New York City on March 26, 2023. If you'd like information about this event, visit my website for all the details.

  A full transcript of this episode can be found here. Full transcripts of every episode will always be available at the Starving Artist No More Blog.

Thank you for listening. Please feel free to reach out to me at www.StarvingArtistNoMore.com, with any questions, comments, or feedback. I'd love to hear from you.