Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals For The New Year

2010 brought with it many unexpected surprises. There were many world events that took place as well as local events that were historic. Here we are in the final month of 2010 so its time to set some new year’s resolutions. I would rather see them termed as goals because we are more motivated by goals. Resolutions do not have deadlines. Goals do.

Many of us have heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals but how many of us actually use this formula when goal setting? Let’s break it down:

S = Specific: What is it you really want? What does it look like? You should get a clear picture in your head as detailed as possible then transfer it to paper to make it specific.

M = Measurable: A good goal is should be measurable or how else will you know if you have arrived. For example, if you set a goal to exercise 3 day per week, you will know if you are off track if you only exercise only 1 day per week. That is a measurable goal.

A = Action: Action means your goals should be action oriented. Action means movement. You have to build action steps into your goals. Your goals should inspire you to move.

R = Realistic: Using our exercise example above, is it realistic to assume you are going to exercise 5 days a week if you have not exercised at least one day a week consistently? I do not think so. Setting goals that are realistic means your goals will make you stretch. They are attainable but not unreachable. 3 times a week would be more realistic.

T = Timely: This is one of the major points that set goals apart from resolutions. Time activating your goals means to set a deadline for when you want to see the goal accomplished. You may set a goal to exercise 3 times a week and you want to have that goal completed by the end of January.

The 80/20 Rule Applies To Goal Setters

Most people do not set goals. It is rumored only 20% of the population sets written goals. It is no coincidence either that most of the people who set goals are the most successful as well.

One thing people tend to forget is you can always change your goals. You should keep adjusting your goals until you get the outcome you desire. Remember, they are your goals and no one else’s.

If you have not started thinking about how you want 2011 to work out for you, then I suggest you use this month of December to set aside some quality time to plan the upcoming year out. It would be time well spent!


Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

P.S. Start your year off right with some hot rap beats. Go to www.RapBeatCreator.com and download rap beats and Hip Hop beats right now!

How to Win In the Music Business with Persistence

As children, most people learned the story of the tortoise and the hare. The hare was quicker than the tortoise but in the end, the tortoise won the race because of his persistence. Getting anything you really want in life is the same as this story.

This theory can also be applied to the music business as well.

There are no overnight successes. There may be artists who seem to have this type of success but what the public does not see are the long hard hours which have been sacrificed to get them where they are today. To prove a point and put this theory in perspective, let us compare two types of artists. We will call the first artist, Big Mack and the second artist, Small Fry.

Both Big Mack and Small Fry have talent but they have very different mentalities. Big Mack sees the music industry as a “get rich quick” scheme and does not care about learning the business of music. All he wants to do is get the fame and fortune by any means necessary. He gets a record deal and has a hit song on the radio.

He spends his money on cars, clothes, women, jewelry, etc. Big Mack’s career seems great in the beginning but he fails to make another hit. His second album is a flop and he owes his record label $500,000 because they did not recoup their investment in him.

Big Mack never even took the time to find out what recoup meant.

Now he lives with his mom in her basement. He still has at least one of the fancy cars but the engine is going bad and it needs a brake job. The clothes went out of style, all the women left, and he had to pawn the jewelry. He now works in a warehouse making $8 an hour and complaining how the music industry was unfair to him.

Small Fry on the other hand never had a big budget. He learned as much as he could about the music business through books, attending music conferences, and finding mentors who he could model. He started his own record label, Hot Fries Records and a publishing company, Supersize Fries Music.

He learned how to market and promote his music using guerilla marketing techniques because he did not have much money. Small Fry became a regional success and secured an independent distribution deal with an international distributor.

Small Fry invested his money back into his businesses and bought a nice piece of real estate to build a recording studio so he could continue to create music for himself and others. He became a music mogul and will probably never be able to spend all the money he has earned in his lifetime.

How can you apply this to your music career?

You must have a vision of where you want to be. People hear this stuff all the time but most never act toward making their dreams reality. You should also have some written down goals for you music career.

Then you must act. Nothing replaces action. This is where things can get tricky because even though you do take action, you may not like the results you get. You can make one of two choices: quit or persist.

If you quit, you may never know the realm of possibilities you may have achieved. You will never know if you were the next “big thing” because you gave up.

If you persist and continue on even though you have setback after setback, you will be successful. Your music career may not end up exactly like you planned in the beginning but most of the time, you will end up better off in life and much happier.

Are you at the verge of quitting the music business? How will you truly know if you don’t at least try again? If you fail at something, pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, and keep going. You didn’t really fail. You just found one way that would not work.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

www.RapBeatCreator.com

www.Beats4ADub.com

www.MusicMarketingPromotions.com

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3 Ways to Stay Focused on Your Music Business Goals

Are you an aspiring musician who feels like you have what it takes to be successful in today's music business? Do you seem to get sidetracked by life little interruptions? If this sounds familiar then you may have a lack of focus and without a "laser beam" focus, its doubtful you will be successful in the music business or any business for that matter.

Some independent artists tend to want to handle all of the details of starting their business themselves. While this is admirable, its not very smart as a long term business strategy.

Here are 3 ways aspiring music artists can stay focused on their goals.

1. Write Your Goals Down

The most successful people in the world have written goals. Written goals take your dreams a big step closer to reality. Getting S.M.A.R.T. goals written down on paper can help you create a laser beam focus to become successful in your music career. S.M.A.R.T. goals are (S)pecific, (M)easureable, (A)ction-oriented, (R)ealistic, and (T)imely.

Write your goals down exactly as you desire them to happen and set a realistic deadline for making it happen. This will put you ahead of the majority of other artists because most artists do not understand the music business is a business first.

Review your goals daily if possible and work toward making them reality everyday. With written goals, you know where your want to go and what it looks like when you get there. Most of the time the end result is better than what you expected.

2. Do Something Everyday

Writing your goals down is only the first step to realizing your music business dreams. Once you write them down, you must follow up with action. Do something everyday toward reaching the goals you have set. If your goal is to complete 3 songs this week, then you should do what is necessary to get those songs written. Grab your pen and paper, word processor or whatever and get moving toward the goal you have set.

Nothing replaces action and the more you act on making your goals a reality the more successful your career will be.

3. Find a Mentor

There are plenty of examples of successful music artists who have experienced the joy of handling their business correctly and reaping the benefits of good business sense. There are more examples however of what not to do as well. A good mentor can help you figure your way around potential pitfalls that are surely to occur as your career grows.

You do not have to know an artist personally to learn from them as a mentor. Success leaves clues so why not study successful artists? Having a mentor is like having a guide through the mountains and valleys of the music business. Using their experience and knowledge can help put your career on fast forward.

Using these 3 methods will help you move toward your music business goals faster than you ever expected. Sure there are other methods but you will find the most successful artists practice these 3 ways in some form or fashion.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
www.RapBeatCreator.com
www.Beats4ADub.com
www.MusicMarketingPromotions.com

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