GOAL SETTING FOR 2009

This is Part Two of our Personal Inventory as artists as we move into 2009. You can use the information you discovered in Part One to help you set goals for 2009 and beyond.

You will 9 blank pages. Write one heading per page:

SPIRITUALITY
HEALTH & BODY
EMOTIONAL WELL BEING
RELATIONSHIPS
INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION
FINANCIAL SECURITY
CAREER (BUSINESS)
CREATIVITY
FUN

Then under each of these headings, write:

10 YEARS
5 YEARS
3 YEARS
1 YEAR

So your layout should look like this:

SPIRITUALITY

10

5

3

1

Do this for each page heading. Once you have your structure set up, it’s time to fill in the blanks. Sometimes, it’s easiest to start with the 10 year mark and work backwards.

Where do you want to be in terms of your spiritual development in 10 years? If that’s your goal, what steps do you need to take this year to head toward that goal? What milestones do you think will mean progress at the 3 year and 5 year mark?

Ask yourself these questions for each subject heading. Feel free to jump around – no need to do them in any special order – and leave things blank if you’re just not sure. Again, there is no judgment in this exercise – this is about seeing where you need to focus new energy or where you are spending all of your time. Also, you can list several goals or you can just identify one goal per year – it’s entirely up to you to use this map in a way that’s helpful to plan your own life. There are no rules.

Also notice that I have separated business from creativity – as artists, we often get caught up in production or business concerns and spend our creative energy in those pursuits. Creating work is not the same as selling work! Look at what happens when you separate the two!

Here’s an example of how you might fill one out:

CAREER (BUSINESS)

10 Year

- MOUNTAIN MAMA Production Company: funding, producing, creating films, tv, books and plays that further the empowerment of women, artists and Appalachians.

- Nominations for Pulitzer, Oscar and Emmy

5 Year

- The Constant Creator series has become new Artist’s Way.
- Ability to produce other artist’s work
- Play on Broadway
- Commercial Xmas movie creates financing for indie projects

3 Year

- Shot feature premieres at Sundance with theatrical release
- TV show on the air
- Mentropy is best seller
- Constant Creator series is completed and sold

1 Year - 2009

- Become WGA member
- Sell TV project
- Constant Creator proposal completed