Let's create goals for 2012!

Let's create goals for 2012!

It's nearly impossible to create the career of your dreams without establishing goals, action plans, deadlines and, budgets. What do you want from your career in the coming year? What are you willing to do to make your career move forward? How much time will you spend? How much money can you invest?

Here are some things to think about:
•How much money did I earn in 2011? Can I earn more in 2012? How much? Be precise.
•What was the artistic high in my career for 2011? Could I find a better highpoint in 2012? What do I want it to be?
•Did I pass any milestones in 2011? My first commercial audition? My first Off-Broadway play? My first National Commercial? My first spoken line on television? Finishing my VO demo? Joining Equity?
Figure out what you accomplished, and what you want for yourself in 2012?
These are your goals.

Now, what are you going to be about it? This is your action plan.
It helps to have a marketing coach to do this, but you can absolutely make personal career breakthroughs by creating your own thoughtful action plan.
Action plans, unlike goals, are 100% up to you. There's no chance involved. These are promises you make to yourself that are controllable by you; these are commitments.

Your action plan could include:
•I'm going to do a mailing of headshots, and subsequent postcards to 15 commercial agents.
•I'm going to finish my audiobook demo CD.
•I'm going to strengthen my relationship with my agent, by calling once a month, and visiting 3 times. I'm going to ask questions, and find out what I can do to make his job easier.
•I'm going to go to open calls for 10 things that will get me my Equity Card.
•I'm going to not accept commercial work that pays less than $300 a day.
•I'm going to join AFTRA.
•I'm going to consistently send postcards to my maintenance list, every 4 to 6 weeks, for the whole year.
•I'm going to buy myname.com
•I'm going to lose 10 pounds.
•I'm going to meet the casting director for Blue Bloods, at a meet-and-greet.
...You get the idea. Again, all of these are 100% do-able.

Now mixed in with your action plan are your deadlines and budgets. Be realistic. Your have a busy life and limited resources. Make the commitment now, and you won't have to feel like you're not doing enough for your career. If you've decided - THIS IS WHAT I'M DOING, you never have to feel bad that you're selling yourself short.

Make deadlines for mailings, for getting in shape, for finishing your demo, for learning 3 new monologues, for finding a great up-tempo audition song, for finishing your one-person show.

Make a budget for all of it too:
$89 to meet the casting director for a show that is currently casting in NYC.
$1000 for a year's worth of vocal coaching.
$60 for 3 bottles of thank-you wine for the agents I freelance with.
$300 goes into savings for new headshots in 2013.
$200 for 3 new audition outfits.
And so on...


I promise, If you thoroughly explore your goals, action plan, deadline, and budget, success will come. You will sleep better, you will audition better, your skin will be better, your LIFE will be better.

If you need any help, drop your questions below in the comments.