Gospel Industry Tip Of The Week 9/5/11
Set New Goals
Last week we talked about a few relatively simple ways to measure your progress. While you’re working on that, I’d like to introduce an additional tip to aid you in your overall development as an artist and minister. Once you have a clear sense of just how far you’ve come, the next vital step in your forward progress is to set new goals.
To give you a concrete sense of what I mean, let’s refer to the same key areas we presented as primary places to measure your progress.
Area #1: Creative growth.
If you’ve taken the time to review your old songs, audio recordings and videos of your performances, hopefully you’ve been able to mark key ways in which you’ve developed creatively since you began this journey. The best way to ensure continued forward momentum is to narrow down a few specific ways in which you can improve over the next year.
Your list might include any of the following:
• To become more skilled in writing lyrics.
• To improve in my creation of melodies.
• To increase my vocal range.
• To develop and improve my vocal tone.
• To focus on my stage presence.
The possibilities may be endless, but for now pick the top 1-3 areas that require the most immediate attention. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew, so that you do not become discouraged or stuck.
This time next year, you’ll measure your growth again. Prioritizing your areas of attention will increase your chances for noting significant progress.
Area #2: Quality of impact.
Now that you’re keeping a record of the lives you are impacting with your music, set some new goals. What things can you do to broaden your connection to people and to deepen your connection to those who are already following your ministry?
Some ideas might include:
• To improve the quality of my web site and social networking pages.
• To be more attentive to answering messages from those who reach out to me online.
• To create a system for following up with the people who come to my shows or purchase my music.
Again, pick just 1 or 2 key areas. Truly give this some thought and put together a plan that you can execute with consistency.
One note: It’s true that your overall process of artist development must include some areas where you measure your quantitative progress (your growth by the numbers). However, in the foundational years of your artistry, one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself is the decision to focus on the quality of your artistry. Increased quality will inevitably lead to increases in quantity. The opposite is rarely true.
Area #3: Your mission statement.
Never forget your mission statement. Keep it close at hand and refer to it often. In this instance, review it to be certain the goals you set are consistent with the overall focus of your artistry and ministry. If anything is out of line, be honest enough to rethink, refine, and reset that goal.
Are there any key areas in your mission statement that are not represented at all in your new goals? If so, pray about practical ways to include additional goals to address those items.
At the end of this process you should have about 5 or 6 achievable new goals for your artistry for the next 12 months. If you dedicate yourself to reaching those goals, you’re practically guaranteed to have measurable, forward progress by this time next year.
Some of you may be thinking: But what about the goal of getting signed by a label?
In today’s marketplace, if your primary goal as an aspiring artist is to be signed by a label, I fear you may be limiting yourself. As we’ve discussed in past blog entries, one of the great shifts in the new music industry is that now, more than ever, the primary responsibility for artist development rests with the artist and his management rather than with the record label.
Establishing a mission statement, measuring your progress, and setting goals are all a part of taking that responsibility seriously. When we are able to commit ourselves to such items with consistency and maturity, we will be able to transform that responsibility into a series of new opportunities.
Published: September 05, 2011 | 0 Comments
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