Woohoo, I achieved a goal! I think it was a goal, I just thought, I ought to do this and did. Is there a minimum time interval involved with a goal,lol?

Anyhow, I made a searchable database and midi files of the chords I had in a chordbook, 812 for keyboard and nearly a thousand with the voicings for guitar. Now I can search my melody for possible chords, choose the inversion and pop in a midi file to hear it. I can't believe I didn't either already have such a program, or couldn't find one on the web. I suppose because it's "simple" for any one to do, there wasn't a need for it. Or maybe no one else found a need for it,lol!

Perhaps because that's not really a goal statement. What's the measure? What does better mean, really? In addition, setting a goal isn't going to work for you, you need to work for it




I'm not concerned about the "to do" because this isn't a goal - it's an intention. Really what it is - a strategy. Because it's more about how you're doing what you're doing than about what the intended outcome will be. Goals aren't about how you get there - they're about what and where there is. The how is important and I think this strategy is AWESOME. It's just not a goal.





Don't be down on yourself. It sounds like last year you were building the environment in which to create. And that's an incredibly important part of being a functioning business.

So if you feel like playing with me a bit - set a specific, measurable and realizable goal. And I'll give you specific feedback on it!

And then let's see how that affects you.

Warm regards,
Debra

First of all, I LOVE THAT!

It's a great strategy and one I embrace daily.

So, what's your goal? What will you be using that strategy to achieve? What's the outcome you're after?

Warm regards,
Debra

Okay, most definitely I am game for this. I have a pretty exhaustive backlog of unrecorded material, and that's my main focus for the year. That said... here's the top 3 priorities for me in 2012:

[1] To complete recording/mixing/mastering/replicating the next duet CD with my partner; we're 2 tracks in, and all songs are written and demo'd. The specific goal here is... to have the next Elementalz CD in hand by July 1 (in time for our fave annual music conference). This is top priority for me.

[2] To write/produce 6 new instrumental film/tv cues of at least 2 min in length by years end.

[3] To complete 5 instrumental fusion tracks for my next solo CD, by years end. Complete meaning recorded, mixed, ready for mastering. Currently, one is 90%, a second has drums/bass recorded.

Of course I'll continue to do other stuff as well (write more, finish studio, swim...... ), but for your request, Debra, these are my thoughts. When I read it, it seems like a lot on paper, but it doesn't seem unachievable, to me anyhooz. But then again... dial me stretched? Maybe. Maybe not.

I most certainly appreciate your feedback!

So first, notice that each "goal" is not a goal but a "To Do". Actions aren't goals. They are the method by which we achieve goals. It's a huge mistake to think your To Do list is your Goal list.

So ask yourself - if you do these things - what will you have/be?

And if your first response is, 5 fusion tracks, 6 instrumental cues, and Duet CD - I think you're closer. So, you could start with that as your goals, and add some qualifying terms that refer to the quality of the outcome, how you'll feel when you have it.

And when writing long-term goals - like the one year goal - I encourage you to go deeper. Why do you want these projects complete? What for? And make that the goal.

For example -
$100 residual checks/month in my mailbox (I just picked the number out of the air - but notice, it's the end result of not only producing those projects, but then having them out in the world producing for you).

So, those goals become mileposts on the way to the bigger goal. Steven Covey writes "Start with the end in mind." That's the point of goals. It's not about how you're going to get there. It's about specifically naming where there is.

HTH,
Debra

Awesome Len! There are no minimums or maximum time length's or quantity minimums or maximums for goals. Take credit for all your accomplishments big and small!

Since this thread is about goals, specifically, I'd love to use what you shared as a teaching point - may I?

Your Goal, if stated as a goal, could have been something like:
Facilitating amazing creativity with a searchable midi file database.

Notice, there's no doing involved - it's the outcome and what it does for you.

The actions to achieve this goal become really clear, because the goal statement is clear. You did some research (I saw it in another thread), gathered information, ideas and tools, created a plan and put that plan into action. Then you celebrated your results - HERE!

Congratulations,
Debra

Sure Deb, I'm all for teachers and teaching. I'm still a student and the only teaching I have done is to myself,lol!
I'm not sure which research specifically you are addressing, it seems I'm always researching something. One thing usually leads to an other. I think I went from the scales and chords project, to playing an oriental scale, and then discovered I might have to adjust for tuning, so now I'm sort of researching just intonation versus equal temperament, and whether I need to adjust frequencies for the notes to scale. I got a little sidetracked and have been listening to some Chinese music. I think goals probably start with a question. Or at least that's how the research starts. Currently, my question is, "why can't instruments be tuned to the voice instead of the voice being tuned to instruments?" So actually, if none of the "research" ever discovers anything of much value, it certainly contributes to my understanding of music, so that will be my goal, "to understand music".

Maybe it wasn't you - I remember a thread a few months ago about creating a database to organize music.

Thanks for the focus, Debra! This thread has been very helpful; really appreciate you taking the time to respond.

[1] To have a full length CD representation in hand by June, of our best co-written tracks (by my partner and I)
[2] To have 6 forwards in the instrumental film/TV cue genre, by years end.

Dropped [3] since it's more about selfish musical self-gratification in my all-time fave genre than anything else.

You are very welcome!

These are great and I'd just tighten them up a teensy bit and add a specific date:

[1] a full length CD of our best co-written tracks in hand by June 1, 2012
[2] 6 instrumental film/TV cue forwards by 12/31/2012

And don't drop [3]! You're allowed to have any goal you want! This is officially a "no judgment territory!"

Your coach,
Debra