Why is goal setting important in choral music?
Goal setting is one of the most powerful tools that we have at hand. If we use it wisely, it can prove to be the most effective move in your career/life. Goal setting is free, and it requires nothing but to sit and plan what is it that you want to accomplish. I usually do it on an excel sheet, but the easy/simple version happens in my notebook, and later goes to my now page.
You can do this on your phone, on a piece of paper. Write it on your hand or your leg, write it on your wall, but there are no excuses to not do it, just resistance. Let’s explore why this is the step you’ll want to explore in your life so you can be a happy composer, conductor or singer!
Why is goal setting important in choral music?
When we write down goals, we begin to explore our “why.” The reason why we do things and plan tasks. Think of it as the address that you put on your phone so you know where you are going. You wouldn’t just jump in your car and drive without knowing where to go, right? [ I paraphrased this example from Pat Flynn’s post that you can enjoy here. ]
Goals can serve as the destination, helping you, the driver, to feel confident about where you are heading to. In choral music, it is important to know where we are going. After all, we are putting a lot of hours into this art form and we want them to be worth it, right?
When you know what your destination is, you know what you have to do to get it. If you don’t know it, at least you are aware of what you have to learn to make it happen. In his post about keeping up with our goals, Pat Flynn gives three great strategies:
- Take one bite at a time
- Think of one task at a time to avoid being overwhelmed and be more productive
- Create goals that support habits
- This sounds very choral to me! When you create goals that are married to habits such as score studying, practicing, or writing music, you are on track to accomplish your goal. You are constantly in motion.
- Find people to hold you accountable
- There are lots of people in our choir, right? Get a practice buddy! or find someone in your social media that can periodically ask you how is your goal going.
Brainstorm a goal list now
I love planning. In fact, I spent to much time doing it. I am aware of it and I am trying to move past that avoidance technique! All of that to tell you that I love brainstorming even more.
Brainstorming can be short and sweet. It helps me to not waste my whole day thinking about how to make the perfect plan. So I want to invite you to do a brainstorm of your goals. You can sit now, set a timer for 5 (or 10 or 15 minutes if you have them) and write all of what you want to accomplish in the future.
Here is the other trick: it does not have to be only related to your career in choral music. I am a big advocate that balance is the key to success and happiness. I am working hard to find it, and for that reason, I also brainstorm and plan my personal life.
When I figure things out in my life, I can work with a fresh mind. When I figure out things in my career, I can enjoy more my personal life. I know they should not be connected, but somehow this balance helps me to be a happy guy in the choral world.
Share with me your brainstorm! I would love to know how you plan to take on your goals for the future. I’ll go now get something done! (maybe food-related, who knows).
¡Chao, people!
