How to Achieve Your Goals

In this world, we all have to start out somewhere small.  Well, most of us do; and I'm certainly no exception.  But there's something about that- starting out small- that makes it all that much more worth it.  When you finally achieve something, anything, you know how hard you worked to get there.  It's one of the greatest feelings in the world.

Goals are great things.  Fantastic things.  There's nothing quite so overdone and underrated as goal writing.  I figure it's a great way to start, and so here come a few of mine:

-Become a writer
-Make it in the acting world

Now, goals are fantastic; but to make them really effective, they've got to be specific.  Let's take a look at the top goal.  First, let's make really lofty-yet specific- goals from it.

-Write for Doctor Who
-Pen an international bestselling novel

These are wonderful!  And it's important to dream and hope; that is what makes us human.  Furthermore, it's what drives us to accomplish things.  That feeling that maybe, just maybe, we might be the one a million who has just the right combination of skill, drive, and luck to achieve what we want.  It takes all of those things, and a good deal of hard work, to get anywhere near achieving the truly great things in life.

Let's take these goals and form one a bit closer to home.

-Write and publish an original novel

Continuing on, make a list of steps to the goal.

1. Create, plan, and draft novel.
2. Research agents, editors, and publishing agencies.
3. Edit and refine novel, and create a pitch for the storyline.
4. Begin contacting agents.

This is a very simplified version of goal steps, but they don't need to be ridiculously complex.  There is a lot involved in publishing a book; what agents are looking for, how to look for the right agents, what to send them, etc.  And that's just the tip of the iceberg.  But the point is, you have a starting point, and that's important.  Your goal is starting to look more realistic, to you and everyone around you.  And the more realistic your goal is to you, the more you believe you can achieve it.  And the more you believe you can achieve it, the more achievable it becomes.


 Next, let's look at the second goal.  As before, let's make some crazy, head in the clouds, but still specific, goals out of it.

-Become a part of the Royal Shakespeare Company
-Perform on Broadway

Once again, great goals, there's no doubt about that.  There's no need to staunch one's creative flow by hiding these aspirations and or telling oneself that it isn't possible.  Because that isn't true.  You give yourself power.  And you are the only one who can ever truly take your power away.  So hang onto your ideas and dreams; they're important.

How about taking these goals and creating one that's a little nearer.

-Perform at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre

Now, this goal is a little bit closer to home, but it still requires a lot of hard work, and is by no means
simple to achieve.  However, it is more realistic to me than the others are, and may be used as a step toward the loftier goals.

As I did before, a simple list of possible steps toward this goal is in order.

1. Get roles and experience on and offstage in local and community theatre in my hometown.
2. Get my theatre degree and gain further on and offstage experience through the University's theatre program.
3. Audition for roles and work in the surrounding city in community and professional theatre.
4. Work toward building a strong theatre résumé through gaining a combination of onstage and technical theatre experience through multiple and varied theatrical venues, professional if possible.
5. Audition at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre.

Again, a quick list, but effective.  It's helped me sort my thoughts, and looking at it written out makes it appear organized as well as achievable.  If I sit around and think about how huge and scary and impossible the theatre world is, and continue to reinforce the impossibility of it all; I probably won't ever make it.  But I look at that list and see that it is possible.  It's a long shot in any case, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. It's all about tenacity.  Tenacity and attitude.

And so I'd like to add a few final steps that should be on any goal list.

-Don't ever, ever give up.
-Know that you have the ability to achieve what you want. 

I don't just say "believe"; I say "know".  Your goals shouldn't be things you just "believe" or "think" could be possible, they should be things that you know are possible.  Things that you will not allow there to be a single question or ounce of doubt about.  That is how you make things happen.  That is how you achieve your goals.

From one dreamer  -how about, "achiever"; that's better- to another, go after those goals.  It might be scary, but frankly, it's just not worth the not knowing.  What if?

Don't let that be the question you ask yourself at the end of the day.  Try another one.

Why not?