For creative people, sticking to the structure isn’t always within our instincts. SMART goals for creatives aren’t realistic, right?
You and I both know the way a creative person thinks: sometimes structure and constraint feel restrictive when our brains would much rather forge their own paths.
Creatives and artists aren’t often trusted to be effective with something like SMART goals. Data, numbers, and organization may seem at odds with creative talent, but using these tools takes our work to the next level.
There is evidence, however, that suggests creative brains can thrive under constraint. Obstacles and guidelines can even be catalysts for some of our biggest breakthroughs.
Under constraint, creativity actually increases, rather than decreases. Creative people find obstacles allow them to think outside the box. It can magnify their creativity, and thereby, their effectiveness.
“Innovation is creative person’s response to limitation”
So if following a SMART goal format seems too restrictive for you, try embracing that constraint instead of fighting it. You may find yourself more effective than ever. Especially during the season where everyone is setting New Year’s Resolutions, this may be the best practice you can adopt.
(Creative entrepreneurs, this is especially helpful for us!)
Understanding what SMART goals are
Did you know that goal setting actually gives your brain a hit of dopamine? The prospect of getting a reward for your hard work helps you stay focused and serves as motivation to keep you going.
While it’s fun to set goals, the motivation to complete them fizzles out after a while if there isn’t a checks and balances system. (80% of New Year’s Resolutions fail, you know.) Putting your goals into a SMART goal format provides the checks and balances system you need to actually achieve these creative goals.
So for every goal you set, make sure they follow the SMART method:
- Specific: Easily defined, not ambiguous
- Measurable: A numerical value can be assigned
- Achievable: Within the realm of possibility; challenging, but not too extreme
- Relevant: Aligns with your values, serves a purpose
- Time bound: There is a clear completion date for the goal
Though defining these elements for your goals may require a little more legwork, the specificity demanded by the SMART goal format helps make your goals more attainable. It provides motivation when you see what the stakes are and the limited time frame you have.
Don’t set too many goals!
Like we touched on earlier, constraint around goal setting is a good thing. For creative brains especially, it can serve as a catalyst for better problem solving, focus, and creativity.
This being said, one of the biggest things you can do to sabotage your goals is setting too many of them. Since goal setting is a source of dopamine, setting too many goals can be an easy trap for creative brains to fall into.
It’s important to be realistic about the time, energy, and other resources you have available to you when pursuing your creative work. The last thing you want to do is spread yourself too thin and end up with a dozen partially completed goals.
A good way to practice using constraint when goal setting is to set one, maximum two, goals for each category of your life. Here are some categories you can consider limiting yourself to when setting goals:
- Business
- Career
- Creative projects
- Leisure
- Travel
- Relationships
When inspiration strikes, it can be tempting to want to do everything at once. Give yourself the best chance possible by having a disciplined focus on whatever goal you currently have in front of you.
Now that you have an idea of what kinds of goals need to be set, and the SMART format they should be followed, here is a simple process you can follow when creating SMART goals:
1. Use your intuition to guide which goals you set
Chances are, your gut already knows what you want to do.
Your intuition is just looking for confirmation on the goals you will be pursuing. Learning to trust your gut takes some practice, but the payoff (and the peace of mind) that comes with it will serve you in every aspect of your life.
Here are some examples of questions to help you use your intuition when setting goals:
- What would I be absolutely thrilled to accomplish this year?
- When I think about pursuing this goal, what sensations do I feel in my body?
- If I 100% knew that I would succeed, what goals would I choose to pursue?
At this point, it’s a good idea to start writing your goals down. Writing goals down makes them over 40% more likely to be accomplished. Why pass on this low-hanging fruit to make your dreams a reality?
2. Define the purpose behind your goal
Though it might go without saying, there has to be a strong purpose behind the goals you set. What purpose will drive you to put in the time, energy, and hours of work?
You may be thinking, of course there has to be a purpose behind accomplishing a goal, but the quality of that purpose is what you have to weigh.
Is the purpose to live up to someone else’s standards? To beat a classmate or coworker? To prove yourself to other people?
Or is the purpose behind accomplishing your goal something that aligns with your highest self? Does this purpose align with your most esteemed values? Does it truly make you happy and give you inspiration?
Setting a goal for the wrong reason could be worse than not setting a goal at all. Don’t waste your valuable time and energy on a goal that doesn’t truly hold meaning to you.
3. Plug your goals into a SMART format
Once your intuition has identified the goals you want to accomplish, and you feel strongly about the purpose behind each goal, it’s time to plug them into a SMART goal format.
Turn qualitative data into quantitative
For creative people, you may notice that some of our goals are not naturally measurable goals. When you want to “become a better guitar player”, you can’t measure that the same way you would if you wanted to “double the revenue in your creative business.” To make this goal setting process successful, the goal needs to transform into a measurable goal.
So you need to take your qualitative goal and give them a quantitative measurement. This can be done by giving skills a ranking system, rating how you feel about it, or dedicating a certain number of hours per week to practicing.
Some more examples of turning qualitative data into quantitative measurements:
- Writing 10,000 words a week for creative writing
- Rating your practice session on a scale of 1-10 for how effective they were
- Practice guitar 5 hours per week
- Write 50 new songs this year
- Try 1 new painting technique every month
A creative SMART goal
Once you have an idea of how you’re going to measure your creative goal, it’s time to plug it into the SMART goal format. Don’t let the rigidity of the structure keep you from getting specific.
Here’s an example for the goal of “becoming a better actor”
Which turns into “double my confidence in my film acting skills by the end of the year”
Is it SMART?
- Specific: Yes, on a scale of 1-10, my confidence is at a 3.
- Measurable: This number doubled will give me a confidence score of 6.
- Achievable: This is easily achievable
- Relevant: This goal absolutely aligns with my long term goals and values.
- Time bound: By the end of the year, I will know if this goal is accomplished.
4. Schedule times to check in on your goals
It is vital to regularly check in on the progress you’re making towards your goals. At the beginning of the year, you can schedule every quarterly, monthly, or weekly check in, depending on your goals.
At these check ins, you should be doing a gap analysis. This analysis is simple enough: subtract where you want to be from where you are. That’s your gap.
The gap will show you how far off you are and how much you have to make up. Simple as that. From there, you plan the next actionable steps you can take to achieve your goals.
*Go put these check ins on your Google calendar right now!*
5. Celebrate your progress
One of the best things you can do on the journey to achieving your goals is to celebrate your progress along the way. This is a hard step for people to get into the habit of, but it can make all the difference.
When you train your brain to focus on the progress you’ve made, it creates more motivation for you to keep going. It keeps you in an abundant mindset and provides evidence that you can accomplish your goals.
This principle is backed by science too. Taking the time to celebrate small wins only reinforces the behavior that allowed you to succeed in the first place. It becomes easier to recreate those psychological patterns when the benefits are recognized and applauded.
Celebrating progress isn’t easy for people who are perfectionists by nature, since there always seems to be something else you could be doing with your time. This isn’t optional though; it’s absolutely essential for success!
6. Reflect on your journey
Creative brains love a narrative, so make sure you are reflecting on your journey. As you work towards your goal, be mindful of what story you want to tell.
Even if you reach the end of the year and your goal is still unaccomplished, there is something to be learned there. How can you spin this story to your advantage? What did you learn in the process?
Deciding what character you want to be in your own story is one of the most empowering things you can do. Even in the best of stories, all characters face obstacles and challenges. How do you want to face them?
If you reach the end of the year, and you have accomplished your goals, that’s amazing! But it’s not nearly as valuable as the lessons and growth you experience along the way.
Setting SMART goals is merely a tool you can use for your own growth and personal development. The reason they are so popular is because they are so effective.
As a creative, the world needs your gifts and ambitions. So why not give them the best chance by following a process that helps you succeed?
Creative people, what goals are you setting this year? (Please share any smart goal examples in the comments!)
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