How to Set and Smash Your Biggest Creator Goals in 100 Days
How I’m setting myself up for success, and how you can too
You have nothing to fear but fear itself… And chasing your dreams. Thinking is the easy part, but outlining your goals could be terrifying. Negative self-talk seems to be the loudest voice when it comes to specifying what we really want. And as creatives, I think we’ve all encountered self-sabotage at some point in the goal-setting process. What is worse though, than the fear of action, is regret and wondering how different life would be if you made a decision to start, as opposed to merely thinking about it…
Well, I’ve never been afraid to write an article- but this one is a little different. I don’t think I’ve ever shared as much as I’m about to, and when it’s out, there is no hiding anymore. I’ve thought long and hard about what I am going to share, and I really believe this challenge of achieving your goal in 100 days is possible. I’m going to outline the thought process, as well as actionable steps, and I’m not just a big talker, I’ll be physically embarking on a quest of working towards my dream in 100 days.
So, if you’re interested in setting and smashing your biggest creative goal, then I hope you find value in what I’m about to share…
The Challenge
I originally heard the concept of the 100-day challenge on the Creative Pep Talk podcast. A few guests seemed to have made a career out of their 100-day challenge, but one in particular stood out to me:Michelle Poler. She wrote her book Hello Fears after facing her fears for 100 days and documenting the process.
What was particularly interesting to me were the two questions she mentioned when it came to deciding on what her 100-day challenge was going to be:
- Where do you want to be in 10 years?
- What’s stopping you from getting there?
For her, fear was her biggest obstacle that held her back from stepping into the life she wanted. Her fears ranged from camping to swimming with sharks- and in 100 days she pushed herself to grow from a space of being constantly afraid to overcoming one of her biggest fears- a Ted Talk. Not only that, she now has the career and life she dreamed of, all thanks to dedicating 100 days to working through what was holding her back.
Personally, in 10 years I want to be a go-to name in the world of screenplays. I would love to be the person that’s top-of-mind when it comes to forming scripts that are the foundations for feel-good family movies.
My favorite screenplay that I’ve written, and I’ve written a few, is called, It’s all in the Kiss. It is about various stories that all revolve around the idea of the “kiss” — the first, the last, familial, friendship — and how this act can irrevocably change a relationship, yet solidify it.
Like in LOVE ACTUALLY, the storylines each work on their own as a separate entity, but there is the common thread of new romance and the interconnected relationships of many of the characters.
I entered it into an international screenwriting competiton where I got high scores and feedback like, “You may-well have interest from multiple buyers and assorted A-list talent.”
Well, I didn’t win the competition- and although I had the nicest feedback, I didn’t end up with a buyer or an agent…I’m sure many aspiring screenplay writers can attest to when all you hear is crickets, it’s easy to give up. After all, my passion is writing, not direct sales.
But to pause and answer the second question: What is stopping me from reaching the goal of being a go-to name in the business is the fact that I’ve stopped writing movies- and, I’ve never made an effort to market what I have created.
I have taken a hiatus from writing because of a seriously bruised ego and I’ve forgotten so much about formatting and structure that I tell myself that I’m too far gone to try writing again.
However, if, for 100 days, I commit to forming a screenplay, there is nowhere to hide. I can brush up on where I’m rusty, get the help I need, and because this challenge is something I’m planning to document, I can create a conversation around it instead of being the mysterious writer who creates purely for passion with no intention of drawing attention to her work. This time around, I’m championing what I do- because if I don’t, how can I expect others to?
What Sets The Challenge Apart
I’m sure everyone has heard of S.M.A.R.T Goals. Well, I get the merit behind the acronym, but marketing is not what the “M” stands for.
This 100-day challenge allows creatives the space to draw attention to what they are doing by inviting others into your journey. Whether it’s documenting your 100 days on Instagram, Blogging, YouTube, FaceBook, TikTok, Twitter, or whatever other social platform you enjoy, you share what you are working towards and you build an audience of people who want to see you win. Sure, you may collect a few trolls to- but that comes with putting yourself out there.
Also, 100 days is long. And, these days it’s a struggle to pay attention to someone in a conversation if a phone is nearby, never mind sticking to something for a consistent time period. Consistent effort, at least from what I’ve observed, is a big reason as to why some people achieve and others don’t. There are obviously other factors that contribute to success, but if you try something once, twice, or even three times, and expect overnight success, you’re not being entirely realistic.
Jordan Peterson’s book, Beyond Order, Rule 7 is, “Work as hard as you possibly can on at least one thing and see what happens.” He goes into the psychology as to why, but what resonated most with me was,
Clear goals limit and simplify the world, as well as reduce uncertainty, anxiety, shame, and the self-devouring physiological forces unleashed by stress.
It seems possible to endure a lot if there is a specific time frame. By setting small, gentle goals and by consistently pitching up, over a 100-day time span, you’re putting a lot of time, heart, and thought into an over-arching clear goal.
You’re also communicating a consistent message over a 100-day time span too. There’s a lot of positive forward momentum that could come about as a result of both working at something and communicating what you’re working on.
As a creative, we may almost want to separate the two. But, I’ve made peace that we have to wear all the hats at the beginning, and this challenge is an approachable way of doing so.
But, it’s not only diligently working on something over 100-days and marketing what you’re working on that sets the challenge apart- but it’s also accountability. When you find people who believe in what you’re hoping to achieve, you don’t want to let them down. It’s not a people-pleasing thing, it’s showing up for more than yourself, and, potentially inspiring others to put themselves out there to achieve something that they’ve been holding out on.
I’ve seen people have dramatic fitness goals achieved after 100 days, I’ve seen artists emerge from what felt like nowhere after 100 days, it could also be as simple as drinking more water or flossing consistently after 100 days of repeating the practice… But, seeing that I’m speaking to people eager to start their own thing, 100 days of isn’t going to be easy as flossing.
The Challenge Within the Challenge
Pitching up every day and working towards the same goal for 100 days is likely to be a mental challenge. This is too long to rely on passion or hype alone to carry you through.
I’m sure setting systems to create good habits that point you in the direction of the challenge are likely to help on those days where the procrastination or self-sabotage bug is biting hard. It may be helpful to prepare for how you could digest the variety of challenges you’re likely to face in different forms throughout the entire time frame.
I feel as if there are no blanket statements for what time you start, or how many hours, daily, you should be working towards your goal because we’re all so different. Personally, first thing in the morning or last thing in the day are the best times for me to work on personal projects. Also, I can’t really commit to more than two hours per day within my current responsibilities.
Then, it may help to pre-empt the things that are likely to cause you to skip a day, and plan how you would address them before you commit to starting.
I’m going in with a marathon mindset as well as a sense of humor. Although I want this to work out, I also want to approach it like I am giving myself an excuse to be playful in the pursuit of making my dream a reality. I’ll be allowing myself room to explore, communicate and observe how things land. I’m going to learn publically which is terrifying in a way, but I know it will expedite the lessons that I need to learn.
Sum Up
If you’re wanting to join me in working towards what you want for 100 days, clearly outline your goal, commit to a starting date, identify how you plan on documenting your journey, and be ok with others holding you accountable to achieving your goal.
It’s unlikely that you’re going to land up where you want to be in 10 years if you do not take the steps in the direction of where you are hoping to go.
Good luck with outlining what you want. May you wholeheartedly throw yourself into the challenge, set systems that set you up for success, and may you come out, at the other side of working at it for 100 days, at the exact point, or a lot closer to it, of where you want to be in your life and business.
