I sometimes think the reason so many aspiring voice actors watch their careers fizzle out before they ever seem to really get going is because of a lack of direction.
If a pitcher throws a 95 mile an hour fastball with his eyes closed, what are the odds it finds the catchers mitt behind home plate?
You can’t hit a target if there’s no visible target to hit.
That’s why we need goals!
Did You Set Goals
I started off 2013 by encouraging you to set goals for your voice over career and business for the coming year. Did you do it? What kind of questions did you ask yourself? What kind of goals did you set?
- How much money did you want to make?
- What clients did you want to work with?
- What type of projects did you want?
- What equipment purchases did you want to make?
Time For A Check Up
Last weekend I jumped in my truck and took off for a few days. I locked myself in a hotel suite with my iPad, my MacBook and a whole lot of paper. My mission was simple. Vision casting and goal setting.
Part of my process was reviewing all of the goals I had set for myself for 2013. I wanted to celebrate what I had accomplished, and confirm I had plans in place to make sure my remaining goals would get checked off by the end of the year.
After all, the year is over half complete. So time is running out to get things done!
I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished so far. I have 26 different goals for the year, ranging from business to travel to purchases to personal development. So far, I’ve checked off 12 of those goals and four more are currently in progress.
What Is Your Plan
It’s not enough to just set a couple of general goals and then leave the rest to fate or chance or leprechauns. You have to have a plan!
If you want to make a certain amount of money in your voice over business you need to have a plan for how you’ll do that. A specific, detailed plan.
If you want to work with a certain client, you’ll have to have a strategy you’re working on (and constantly reviewing) to try and make it happen.
If you’re looking to make a specific purchase, you’ll need to make sure you’re saving money each week to make that purchase possible.
Review, Realign, Refocus
As I mentioned earlier, last weekend, I went away for a couple of days to review my goals. The end result was dozens of papers of ideas, strategies, and plans.
I took time to review each of my remaining goals and figure out why they hadn’t happened, whether they were already in progress, whether I had let the goal slide, and whether a realistic plan was in place to ensure it would be checked off my list.
This weekend was about reviewing my goals, realigning my plans and strategies to meet my goals and refocussing my mind to achieve my goals.
It’s August. You’ve got five months left! It’s not too late to conduct a thorough check up of your goals and do whatever you need to do to make sure you achieve them all!
Good luck!
QUESTION: Did you make goals for year? How are you progressing? How can I help or encourage you?
