Your 4-Step Music Resolution-Evolution Plan For 2013

Have you set your New Year Resolutions yet? I'm JUST getting around to mine now (it's not too late!) and I'm calling it my Resolution Evolution Plan. To me, resolutions are an evolutionary thing. They EVOLVE you. This year I wanted to try a new approach something fresh to do it different and I'm always on the prowl to up my results! The New Year is a fresh start in most of our minds a brand new chance to plan, set goals, make new commitments and CHARGE into the New Year. But what if instead of just setting goals we looked at our own evolution? Who We Want to Become? What if that's the juice behind the goals  to drive them further faster?

Here are some typical (and noble) goals:

•  want to play a festival with a 3000 audience this year.
•  want to get on the Carson Daly Show!
•  want to reach thousands of people.
• want to [insert you example here].

All these goals are awesome, but there is a deeper, more important question you could ask  which is, Who would you have to become to reach those goals? What if you set your goals on becoming that person this year?

Who do YOU want to be in 2013?

Maybe it sounds something like this:

I want to be a successful artist whose music affects people at a deep level while earning a great living making music as a result.

Or I am a person who makes a great living making music and connects at a deep level with my fans.

Or I inspire people through my music to make the world a better place. I do that by living the example. My tours are green and I contribute 10% of what I make to charity.

Once you identify a real true statement like that about who you want to be, then you have more juice to move forward with more velocity and determination. It fuels the destination.

Below is my 4-step formula for deciding Who You Want to Be in 2013 and then what your goals are as a result.

Your 4-Step Music Resolution-Evolution Plan for 2013

1. Create a Vision  This is pretty much what it sounds like. Decide WHO you want to be  and write out exactly what that is. Be as specific as you can the more honest you are with yourself up front, the faster your progress will be. Imagine the life you want, and then who is the person living that life? Write it down. This gives you theJUICE to reach your goals.
2. Determine your Values  What lies beneath your desire to be successful in music? This is the WHY you do music. Do you want to save the world with your music? Affect change at a social level? Do you want the ability to help people through music or charitable giving? Or do you want to inspire people? Motivate them in some way? Make them feel special? Whats important to you? Who are you speaking for? What do you represent for your audience? What do your critics say about you? This section is so important because it tells you about the goals you should set.
3. Create a Road Map Now that you know where you want to go with your music, it's time to get a road map. You wouldn't drive from Arizona to California without a map or GPS, so why would you attempt to build your mini-empire without a road map? Use the vision and values listed above to help chart your course. You can't have a road map without boundaries, compasses, etc. In much the same way, your success map can't take shape until your vision and values are in place. This is when you begin to determine HOW you will reach your destination. Now, go write out the HOW but here's a warning, don't worry too much about the details. Just set the destinations. To get to Z I have to first get to A, B, C then D, etc
4. Stick to the Plan If you take a wrong turn, your GPS is likely to immediately say recalculating and then demand you get right back on course. Your brain should do the same thing anytime you procrastinate, eliminate important steps or take a detour from your destination. Be your own annoying GPS voice if you have to. You'll be glad you did when you find out you spent seconds or minutes on a wrong turn instead of wasting hours or even days. How closely you stick to the plan will go a long way in determining WHEN you'll arrive if you want it to be sooner rather than later, stay faithful to the process.

Now that you've got your new year road map, you're ready to become unstoppable. Just remember: stick with it and hang in there. There are always road hazards and even detours, but if you keep your eyes on your desired result, you'll overcome it all in 2013! Share your resolutions in the comments below.

©2013 Cari Cole, Vocal Mag, Inc. All Rights Reserved.