Good for you, diva! You stuck in there through the cashflow projection, business structure, and barriers to entry posts. Now, it is time to dream. Time to dream BIG. Are you in your creative habitat right now? Look around. What surrounds you? Take a look at what motivates and inspires you. Your biggest dreams are hidden just below the surface. Have a notebook, journal, or to-do list hanging around? Dig deeply into the cry of your soul. There is a road map in those daily to-do lists toward your biggest goals.
Your Day 9 challenge is to Wake Up and Live Your Dream.
“If you are not in the process of becoming the person you want to be, you are automatically engaged in becoming the person you don’t want to be. ” ― Dale Carnegie
We can spend our entire lives simply reacting to the incessant stimuli around us. This is one of the reasons why creatives hate email with such passion. That constant stream of communication takes you out of your zone and puts you into reply mode. You do not have to swear off email, though, to make a big difference in controlling the flow of your day. All it takes is 10 minutes.¹ At breakfast or first thing in the studio, block off 10 sacred minutes with yourself to outline your mission for the day. These precious minutes are time to make a to-do list, a GTD-style brain dump, brainstorm an important creative element, or whatever you need. The point is to do it regularly so that you have a course of action for the day. I find that it is extremely helpful for those moments when brain energy is low and you aren’t sure what to do next. Go back to your notes from your meeting and pick up a new task.
Wasn’t this supposed to be about BIG dreams? How much dreaming can you do in ten minutes? As you practice your 10 minute meetings, you’ll find that you are able to access that macro and micro thinking with more facility. Yet, this post is about big dreams. Scary big dreams.
It is time to commit to all of those eyelashes, wishbones, dandelions, 11:11s, and birthday candles and every silent wish you have made in your heart along the way. Today is the day for super-sized dreams.
Have big dreams. You will grow into them.
Many goal-setting exercises start in the immediate and go farther into the future. For this exercise, we will go the opposite direction. If we start with tomorrow, there is a tendency to shrink the dream. By starting farther out we give ourselves enough space to really think about the goals and achievements we want. Do not hesitate to claim your biggest dreams here. No matter your abilities, current circumstances, or level of courage. Those can all change and grow. Here we go…
In ten years from now, I will…
(10 Year Main Goals)
Listen very carefully for the cry of your soul. Trust that voice. Let your dreams run wild for a bit and write them all down. If you could change the world or create something that did not exist before, what would you manifest? You are not only a singing robot; so, remember to include all of your big goals professional and personal. Give yourself time to really ponder and wonder on these ten-year goals.
In five years from now, I will…
(5 Year Goal Plans)
After spending time with those ten-year goals, identify the half-way point to those goals. You may want to be recording regularly in five years if it is your goal to win a Grammy in ten years. There are other five-year goals that do not necessarily lead to the ten-year goals. Some singers may want to change location in five years. Your five-year goals may alter your ten-year goals at times.
In two years from now, I will…
(2 Year Goal Actualization)
This is starting to become a little more immediate, huh? Think about your stated goals before entering a grad program, for example. Or, the goals that you listed when we started our first go-round of 29 Days to Diva? Time flies as we all know. Now, identify the internal and external factors that will make your five-year and ten-year goals happen. Be very aware of what you can do alone and what you will need from other people. As a singer, you have many gatekeepers before you. You cannot force them to help you achieve your goals, but you can take care of all of the internal requirements for reaching your goals.
In one year from now, I will…
(1 Year Goal Must-Do By Quarter)
Now we have reached the point where you can factor in your current circumstances. Start where you are with what you have. You have four quarters this year. What can you do to set yourself up to achieve your two-year goals? Apply the “SMART Method for Goal Setting.” Make your one-year goals: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Break down these one-year goals into their most basic steps and plot them on your calendar by quarter. That is what you can put on your to-do list today. Now those ten-minute meetings are looking more and more like the keys to accomplishing ten-year goals.
Your dreams depend on what you do everyday.
If you didn’t already feel that way, you probably would not have found the 28 Days to Diva series. I am so glad you are here. While you are taking the time to dream about your future, promise me that you will stop for just a moment to also realize how far you have come. Ars longa, vita brevis. But, we’ll do our best.
I hope you will stop back tomorrow. We have so much to talk about. Until then, you can find me tweeting about my favorite things at @mezzoihnen. Won’t you join me?
