Of Goals, Visions, and Dreams - Stepping out of the creative shell

So, 2022 is here, yaaaaay!

Lately, I have found myself reflecting a lot on time. I look at my age and the things I have achieved so far. What I see is not bad but it's not as great as I know it can be either, considering the level I want to be at (I am my worst critic, I'm sure someone out there can relate). I am proud of my work, but I keep getting this feeling that I am capable of so much more; that there is still a lot to be realised in me. With the Covid-19 pandemic cutting people's lives short, some of whom we didn't expect to be taken away from us anytime soon, I started asking myself this question, "Who says I have all the time in the world?" All of a sudden, I feel like I am running out of time and I am operating on an invisible deadline. I keep thinking I could have done so much more. I should have done so much more. So I have given myself a target and embarked on a quest to utilise all my potential while I still can. Which brings us to the topic of this post: #2022Goals!

Goal No.1: Step Outside the box

As a creative, I look at the trends and popular stuff within my industry. Be it copywriting styles, colours schemes, font styles, graphic styles, you name it. Unfortunately, sometimes I fall into the box of trying to do what's within the norm and in fashion in an attempt to be relevant. However, this results in me feeling 'boxed'; it's almost as if I am scared to do something different and end up using other people's styles as rules or blueprints for my work because I believe that's what people will like. In the end, it all looks good and trendy but none of the work reflects me. None of it speaks my truth. In some cases, this can't be helped because maybe that is what the client wants and we all know that the client is king.

To mitigate this 'boxed' feeling, I will be tapping more into my creative side and creating more content that enhances my skillset and gives me some much-needed practice. Usually, I care too much what people will think about me or my work and just end up playing it safe and doing what everyone else will be doing. From now on, the goal is to stop overthinking it, close my eyes, create, hit that 'publish/post' button, and share with the world.

As Les Brown said,

“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.”

I have no intention of making the graveyard any richer, thank you very much.

Goal No.2: Use My Outside Voice

Yes, my 2022 is all about stepping outside in one way or another. Don't get me wrong I do speak out, but mostly on the easy stuff. Oftentimes, I have all these great ideas which I just keep to myself because, in my head, they just seem not good enough or too complicated to execute. This usually happens in brainstorms and meetings. The funny twist is that, when someone else brings up the idea and gets credit, I kick myself so hard and endlessly. "That could have been me. That SHOULD have been me." I tell myself over and over again. Well, no more shoulda woulda couldas this year! My goal is to speak out and speak first. Simple as that. The rest will sort itself out.

Actress Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall) said,

"Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes."

I intend to do just that.

Goal No.3: Work Smarter and Harder

Last but definitely not least, I plan to work SMART, in both senses of the word, and hard. Setting goals is easy, achieving them is a whole different story. A lot of self-discipline and time management is required and when there is no one to make you accountable, it's easy to lapse and procrastinate. We all know that is a recipe for getting zilch done.

The first item on my arsenal to face this battle is goalsetting and planning. I find it easy to envision my goal and track my progress when I write things down. You've got to keep that end in sight. Studies have shown that you remember things better when you have them written down and vividly describing your goals in written form is strongly associated with goal success. I have found this to be true every time I write down stuff in my diary or planner.?

Therefore, this year my goal is to put in the hours that are required to balance out my job while nurturing my creative side and side hustles. I will write down all my plans and projects and formulate a plan of action with detailed steps for each stage. You can download a goalsetting sheet if you are on a similar path. I find them quite useful for this kind of thing. I find it easy to identify my dreams first, then break them down into long-term goals, which I then break down into short-term goals under the monthly, weekly, and daily categories. From there I work my way upwards, tackling the daily goal which will help me achieve my weekly goal, which will help me achieve my monthly goal set to help me achieve my short-term goal which is in line with my long-term goal set as a way to achieve my dream. Makes sense?

The mission is to put my work out there, showcase what I can do on as many platforms as possible, and create a working organised system that can help me track and account for everything; from marketing plans for my brand to feedback forms for clients. So far I have taken the first step of creating a YouTube channel, Rue's ABCs, revamping the Instagram page for my brand Onekwa Communications as well as its Facebook page, and created a LinkedIn page for it. The website is still under construction and will be launched by the end of January.

What are your three goals? My advice is to just dive right in! What matters is that you take that first step. Happy goalsetting!

Follow me: