Be S.M.A.R.T. about your Art Business

© 2007, Artist Career Training

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Be S.M.A.R.T. about your Art Business


New Year's resolutions typically fizzle out as fast as the champagne bubbles from the holiday celebrations. You will get more lasting results from a little planning.

It helps to have a system. Artists in the A.C.T. community learn how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals to focus their business instincts.

The acronym S.M.A.R.T. describes how to write your goals so that you have a better chance of succeeding. Each letter directs you to one of the five elements of getting things done.

Just follow the template and soon you will get the hang of it.

Write S.M.A.R.T. Goals
S	= Specific	Set your intention and describe precisely what you will do;
M	= Measurable	Decide how you will know you have been successful;
A	= Attainable	Stretch your comfort zone but not too far that you scare yourself;
R	= Realistic	Assess whether you have the skills and the resources required;
T	= Timed	Set a time frame to take these actions and review your results.

Three Rewards to reap for your efforts

   Writing S.M.A.R.T. goals has its own rewards, aside from
   creating a way to manage your year.

• You increase your results. You find previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.
• You decrease your distractions. You filter out activities, obstacles and people who do not support your desired direction.
• You increase your confidence and your competence. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to achieve what you want. Nothing reinforces your motivation better than getting results.

Three Mistakes to avoid a planning hangover
   Every system has the possibility of "operator error."

• Setting goals beyond your abilities or resources. Being impatient acts like retardant and slows your progress on all counts. What's worse is that you usually berate yourself for not achieving them even though they were unachievable in the first place.
• Setting goals too low for your career stage. Playing safe sends you
  (and others) the message that you aren't very capable or confident.
  Growth requires "stretch" goals.
• Setting goals without scheduling action. Without an end point, the
  commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you
  can start at any time. Nothing is achieved without action.

Research has proven that it really does help to write down what you want to achieve. Make sure to add enough sizzle to make it worth giving up chocolate, shopping or whatever else distracts you. Put in enough sensory details that your artist mind can enjoy the process of mining your resolutions for goals. And remember to monitor your progress - it's half the fun of getting there.

Here's to your success!

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With the knowledge and support you get from Artist Career Training
you'll save time, effort and money.  We gather all the information you
need to market your art and build your art career so that you can make
money and get back to doing what you love - making more art.