With the new year in full swing, what have you set out to accomplish in 2019? While many individuals construct New Year’s resolutions, science shows that only 8% will actually follow through and achieve them. Entertainment is a highly unpredictable industry, so creators looking to make significant progress in 2019 need to move away from lofty resolutions and start getting smart – with SMART goals that is. Here’s how:

Why Set SMART Goals?

Goal setting will make you more efficient and successful as a creator, however, choosing the right goals can be the difference between wasting time, money and making a real impact on your career. Keep in mind, goals are useless if they are not grounded in reality, that’s why it’s critical to set SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Honing the SMART goal framework will help laser your focus, prioritize what matters most, and boil it down to one organized strategy.

Specific

The first step in setting a SMART goal is asking yourself: What specifically do I want to accomplish? While setting a goal like “I want to gain more followers on social media” may seem like a step in the right direction, it is far too vague to be accomplished. In order to be successful, you want to select a challenging goal that is clear and not open to interpretation. Be sure to create goals based on real numbers and real deadlines. Specific goals will make it easier to track your progress and will keep you motivated. If you find that your goal is too large, try breaking it down into multiple smaller SMART goals. For example, by changing “I want to gain more followers on social media” to “I want to increase my Instagram following by 100 users in 1 month,” you’ll know exactly how high the bar is set and how to plan an initial strategy.

Measurable

Now that you have your specific SMART goal in mind, you will need to determine how you are going to track your progress. Hold yourself accountable to your success by outlining concrete metrics that you can regularly monitor. Building on the example above, break down the month-long SMART goal into weekly segments. Instead of looking at it as 100 followers in 4 weeks, check in every week to see if you were able to hit your target of 25 followers. Measurable goals will help you identify whether or not your strategy is working and modifying it accordingly.

Attainable

The next step in the SMART goals process is to evaluate whether or not is it possible to reach your desired goal. Don’t set yourself up for failure with a poorly chosen mark. For example, aiming for 10,000 new Instagram followers in a week is just not going to happen, even under the best of circumstances. Failure to reach these unattainable goals will discourage you from pursuing new goals in the future. A better practice is to keep your goals challenging, but realistic. Look at previously attained goals you’ve set in the past as a good starting point. You should also examine if there are any external factors that could prevent your success. For example, is achieving your goal dependent on anyone else? If so, consider reframing your SMART goal so it’s only dependent on you, not others.

Relevant

Be realistic with yourself- does your goal fit in with the overall plan you have as a creator? If your endgame is to get signed to a major label is building your Instagram following a step in the right direction? Every SMART goal should get you one step closer to where you would ultimately like to be in your career.

Time

The final step in this process is to give yourself a firm deadline. By committing to complete your SMART goal within a certain timeframe, you will be less inclined to procrastinate. Instead of leaving the work for “tomorrow”, a deadline will hold you accountable to get ahead of the game and complete tasks on time.

Now that you have your SMART goals in place, you’re well on your way to making a splash in 2019. For more helpful hacks to get ahead of the competition, stay up to date with our weekly blogs.