If you’ve got an idea for a creative project, I’d recommend not starting until you’ve set your goals.
What are your goals?
Do you want to publish a book? Do you want to write a screenplay? Do you want to start a blog? Do you want to make a career out of writing? Do you want to earn a Pulitzer? Or are you just looking to put yourself out there?
Before you begin any creative endeavor, make sure you know what your goal is. Write it down so you don’t forget. Setting goals is like writing a map for your journey to success.
Your goals might change, and likely will, so consider having short-term goals, mid-term goals, and long-term goals, and check in on them every so often so you know you’re staying on track.
In film and television production, every single day is planned out. The director, assistant director, director of photography, and a slew of other essential crew members know exactly what the plan is for that day. As with a lot of things in life, things change. Weather could impact the day, an actor could get sick, the budget might suddenly get cut. But each day the production starts with a plan, a set of goals, and yes, sometimes that plan gets thrown out the window. But at least there is some sort of map to refer to.
I have always started by setting my goals for a project. One screenplay in particular required me to throw my plans out the window after a real-life legendary athlete I wrote into the story passed away. That project has come a long way from the initial incarnation, but the seed of the story is still there. So while I had set goals in the beginning, I was okay with deviating from the plan and updating those goals as I ventured ahead.
So what are your goals right now? Let me know in the comments and keep writing!
