Tis the season for turkey dinners, giving gifts, listening to Bing Crosby, watching Chevy Chase and wishing friends, family and strangers Happy Holidays and (soon) Merry Christmas.
It’s also the season for setting goals. If you want to set yourself up for an amazing 2016, you need to start thinking, dreaming and setting!
7 Reasons You Need To Set Goals
1) Clarity: What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Is it a specific annual income? A certain status level within the industry? Do you want to work with particular clients? Master a niche or genre? Setting goals can help you gain clarity on what your end game is. That, in turn, can help you make a plan to get there.
2) Focus: Once you know exactly what it is you’re wanting to accomplish, setting goals can help you laser focus. You can stop devoting time and energy to unproductive tasks that you’ve identified irrelevant. You can commit to learning and growing in the areas that will get you where you want to be.
3) Plan: You don’t set out for a destination without some kind of plan for how you’ll get there. If you’re driving, maybe you have a map or GPS. It’s no different in your voice over business. Once you know where you’re going, you need a plan for how you’ll get there. Once you set your goals, start breaking them down into practical, tangible steps that will take you from point A to point B.
4) Momentum: You know what you want. Your efforts are focused. You have a plan to get there. Now, you need momentum. That’s what goals give you. As you take the small steps and cross them off your list, you begin to see your goal coming closer within your reach. That builds momentum that keeps driving you forward.
5) Accountability: One of the challenges of being self-employed and working from home (as most voice actors do) is staying accountable to getting the work done. Particularly the projects and tasks that may be less than desirable. You know, things like cold-calling or web updates or bookwork, to name a few. Next thing you know, we’re wrapped up in housework, kids, friends, family, errands, Netflix and countless other distractions. Goals help keep you accountable. They help keep you on task. Ensuring the right work is getting done.
6) Potential: It’s in you. More than you may think or realize. A few years ago, when I started doing voice over full-time, I didn’t fully grasp the potential I had in this business. Now here I am, earning a fantastic income and creating my dream lifestyle. Not only that, but I get to serve others as a coach and mentor, helping them achieve their voice over dreams. Setting the right goals, and following through on them will help you unlock your limitless potential!
7) Winning: What it all boils down to in the end is this… goals will lead you to your best life. In the past couple years, I’ve accomplished and experienced things I never would’ve dreamed of, even 5 years ago. I simply never thought it was all possible. Looking back, I can clearly see it wouldn’t have been if I hadn’t set goals. They’re the game changer.
Free Goal Setting Resource
If you want to take your business to the next level in 2016, I’ve created a free resource I believe will help guide you in the right direction. It’s an eBook with 20 questions to ask yourself. Questions that will get you thinking, dreaming and planning for your best year yet!
