By Cari Cole

Before the holidays take hold and the next 6 weeks becomes a blur, take a few moments to spend some time planning out your 2018.

One of the things I am always teaching artists in my Artist Success Circle Mastermind, is how to plan. The keys to setting goals and putting your dreams into action through strategic action and planning.

Scheduling time for planning is the first step. Over 30 years in business, I have found that the more time you arrange to plan – the better. Time to braindump, brainstorm, think, feel into what your next steps are. “Feel” being an operative word here. It’s not just about linear thinking, it’s about stepping into the “feeling” of what you want more of. This creates inspired action. Different from checking off a to do list. See below.

7 Steps to Your Musician Masterplan for 2018

1. Dream big, aim high.

It starts with a high aim. Something I learned in the past 3 decades of setting goals and reaching some but not all, is that the goal is not reaching them. The goal is aiming for them. Because if you don’t aim high enough, you won’t land high enough. Aiming high also connects you with your heart’s desire and puts you in touch with the feeling you are seeking – creating a stronger intention in the universe.

“Shoot for the moon, because even if you miss you miss, you’ll land in the stars”, says motivational speaker-author Les Brown.

2. Your one year goals.

Start with the big dream. Then dial back to one year.

• What do you want to happen over the next 5 years?
• Then what would you like to see happen one year from now?

Once you have the big dream kahuna, then back-pedal to this next year. What would you like to see happen in one year to achieve your 5 year plan? Arrive at your one year goal. Commit to it fully, even if you’re not sure you can make it all the way. Just set yourself up to go for it all the way. And take a moment to take a deep breath. Let that settle into your body — drop it down into your heart. Feel what that would feel like. This increases the magnetism of your goal and aligns you with inspired action (more powerful than just a heady goal ;))

3. Set measurable goals.

As much as possible try to make your goal measurable. This clarifies your goal and helps to set a benchmark to aim for. For instance, try setting a date for your new record release, or the number of fans you want to reach. Or maybe aim for setting up a tour (with dates in mind), or upleveling your performance venues and draw by a certain time. Maybe you want press, or to land on a Spotify playlist. The more measurable you make your goal, the easier it is to create action steps to reach it.

4. Build a strategy to reach your goals.

Once you have your goal, put on your thinking cap to build your strategy. What needs to happen to reach those goals? What inspired action can you take – and what help do you need from others? Create an inspired strategy to reach your goals. All you have to do to take inspired action, is go back to that big dream, and drop the feeling of achieving that goal right down into your heart chakra ;). Yum.

5. Reverse engineer your action steps.

Once you have your strategy, plot out your inspired action steps. Chunk them down into months. Start with Jan 2019 and work backwards to this month. Put your goal at Jan 2019 and then write out what needs to happen in Dec 2018 to reach the Jan 2019 goal? Work backwards month by month. Fill in as much as you can, and then continue fill out the rest as you get clarity and guidance. Get advice from fellow musicians who are further than you, consult with a music mentor who has experience and can help (hint: join our Artist Success Circle ;)). This process alone can shave years off your progress.

6. Add your action steps to your calendar.

Once you refine and detail your inspired action steps, start plugging them into your calendar. Start by breaking down each monthly goals into a list of to-do’s. Start with the to-do’s that you have the most control over and get them charted out in your calendar. Make a weekly appointment with yourself to prioritize and refine your actions. Sundays are a great time to sit down and prioritize the week ahead.

7. Tweak all through the year.

A plan is a living thing. It requires you to tend to it, tweak it, work it as you move through the year. Plans are intentions, it’s what you’d like to see happen. It’s no guarantee that it will happen. But when you nurture it, and live it, it comes alive!

Looking to make a master plan for your 2018? Consider committing to a higher level of support in our Artist Success Circle Mastermind starting Jan 2018. Start your year with the guidance, know how and pro-level experience you need to succeed!