Some designers love goal setting and thrive on reaching lofty standards. They bask in the glow of their creative and financial accomplishments.
While other designers have great difficulty and hold many fears around making a commitment to their business and personal success.
They want to make an impact, they want to share their creativity with the world, but they struggle with the fear of failure.
These designers have businesses that sputter along, producing low income and even lower self-satisfaction.
Staying in this uncomfortable place is like running your business by accident, “whatever happens, whatever job or client might walk through the door is just way it is.”
When you think about it, this mindset is irresponsible. You are living your life and running your business by default.
So why are you good at getting lots of things done, but not so good at setting clear and meaningful goals?
Because there are emotional sides to the goal setting process and those emotions need to be addressed before you set up the target to aim for, here are the mindset strategies to get crystal clear on the emotional side of goal setting.
Mindset Strategy #1 Get Rid of the Guilt
When you feel like you’ve let someone down or not lived up to their expectations, you feel guilty.
Sometimes the ideals and responsibilities you’ve set up for yourself are exaggerated and distorted. These always create guilt because you cannot possibly live up to them.
How often do you feel like you should have “done more?”
So, if you are feeling like you can’t make new goals because you haven’t fulfilled the old ones, stop and ask yourself…
- What if those are really not my goals?
- And if they’re not, whose goals are they?
- What if feeling guilty was no longer important to me?”
Oddly enough, freeing yourself from the pressure to perform results in the freedom to excel and do much more that you thought possible.
Mindset Strategy #2 You Can’t Fail
Like most fears, the fear of failing is created by your imagination. It feels real but it has no more power that what you give it.
For example, let’s say your goal is to do a million dollar house this year.
The opportunity comes along, you are hired, you create a great interior design, the clients love it but then something personal happens in the client’s family and they stop the job. You don’t get to purchase the fabrics and furniture.
Is this a failure? Really?
Tell me, did the clients love your work? Did you learn about and connect with many high-end vendors? Did you get over the fear of taking on a really big job?
- Tell me, did the clients love your work?
- Did you learn about and connect with many high-end vendors?
- Did you get over the fear of taking on a really big job?
- Can you use what you learned on the next job?
- Will the next big one be way easier?
- What if the concept of failure didn’t exist… what would you be free to do?
Mindset Strategy #3 You Are Good Enough
This fear is about imagining that you should somehow be different or better than you are in order to reach a certain goal.
However, we all know that the way you become a more accomplished designer is by doing jobs that cause you to stretch a bit.
For instance, if your goal is to be published in a regional magazine, but the client never let you finish your best job, is that really a problem?
You know that the work that is published is often not top quality. You also know that what is in the photo isn’t exactly what is there. You also know that you have permission to bring anything you need to make a great photo.
So, if you are feeling like you can’t set new goals because you are not good enough yet, try this on…
- What if being better is a lifelong personal, inside goal?
- What if the pledge to be better just means that each job you do will up the ante 5%?
- And because it’s a lifelong goal, you are becoming the most amazing and phenomenally good designer?
- Finally, there are times when you set a goal and don’t reach it. This can happen and it is not a tragedy (even if it feels like one).
When this happens, it’s your chance to learn, grow, and exceed your ultimate goals. No one did everything perfect all the time, nor will you!
To restore your confidence, try posting this affirmation on your vanity and say it to yourself every day:
My goal is to ___________________, by honoring my agreement with myself I am honoring my worth.
Ultimately, you get to create the kind of business you want to have… what will you choose?
