2018 Non-Goals

Last year I set out art related goals that I didn’t meet. I only met one of them.

Goals just doesn’t work for me. I set a goal, specify concrete tasks on how I’m going to meet them, establish a schedule, and thenäó_I don’t do them.

Maybe my goals are too long term. I can’t sustain the momentum over long periods of time (like a year). I flameout midway through the year, and I end up not doing anything for the rest of the year.

I’m going to try a different approach this year.

I’m going to focus on habits instead. Instead of defining the end result, I’m going to establish habits that might get me to the end result. Like for example, last year, one habit that I ended up sticking to was writing. I write at least 25 minutes every weekday morning. This has been working on my train commute to work.

So I’m going to focus on habits: repetitive actions that will take root and will be as automatic as brushing my teeth.

• Shoot for one hour Saturday morning. Every Saturday morning.
  
• Write for 25 minutes every day including the weekends.
  
• Submit work to one juried exhibition show per month, at the beginning of each month.
  

If at the end of this year, A Million Suns isn’t finished, I haven’t increased my audience, I haven’t exhibited in a group show, well so be it. I’ll try again next year.

So this year, I have non-goals. I’ll focus on process rather than the end result.

What about you, are you changing the way you attain your goals this year?