Goals 2011

I've learned a lot about setting goals in the last two years. It has been a pretty amazing experience. I have learned that goals that seem impossible really aren't if I set smaller goals that will help get me there.

Up to this point in my life, I did not like setting goals. This is due to a fear of failure. If I never set goals, I'll never fail! Go me! However, if I don't set goals, I have found that I won't be able to accomplish any of the things I want to accomplish in my life, and that's a bummer.

Prior to moving to Texas, I had been earning about $200 a month extra through music jobs. Because I am a skeptic, $500 extra income per month seemed impossible to me. However, I did some advertising here in Texas, signed up with an online music lesson company as a teacher, and slowly began to pick up students and gigs. I started making between $300 and $500 per month last year and I was surprised when I met my income goal!

Based on that experience, I decided to set what I think is a tough but rewarding goal for myself this year. One that seems big and impossible. So I decided to set a goal of making at least $1000 in extra income through music in at least one month this year. From my $200 perspective two years ago, $1000 seemed like $1,000,000. From my $500 perspective, it seems challenging but achievable. It will require about 12-15 hours per week in either traveling, teaching, or performing.

As of December 2010, I had three music students, and some paying gigs here and there. Each student is worth about $100 per month. The gigs vary in pay.

Right after I set this goal of earning $1000 in extra income through music, about  three days later (not kidding), I got a call from the music director at my church who let me know that our praise team leader had resigned. The director said that they would like me to consider taking his position, which is paid. I said I would think about it, and I've decided to take it over. This job pays $300 per month.

Then, I got a few leads on some new students from the online music company. Looks like I'll be teaching both of them! That means an extra $200 per month. When I crunch my numbers, if I teach every student four times each month, and earn a $300 salary per month as the praise team leader at church, I'll be earning $940 per month!!!

I realize that it will require work on my part, but no one has ever said that success comes easily. I really do think you have to work towards it. Well, unless you have really large trust fund. Which I don't.

I am very excited about the possibility of actually achieving this goal this year, and I'm surprised (again) at how possible the impossible has become.