Songwriting For Dummies

Chapter 16

Creating Goals and Meeting Deadlines

In This Chapter

Setting goals for the featherweight, middleweight, and heavyweight songwriters

Dealing with pressure and deadlines — head on

Practicing your talents as a goal setter

The business of songwriting is, like so many other businesses, a matter of being at the right place at the right time with the right song. The true definition of “luck” is when opportunity meets preparation. This chapter is about making a habit of “getting lucky” by doing the work and being prepared — creating goals for yourself, achieving goals set for you by others, and ultimately meeting deadlines overall.

Creating Goals

When athletes use the word goal, they’re referring to their trajectory reaching its intended target. Their score depends upon an achievement toward a goal in which effort is directed. In other words, if you know where you’re going and put in the effort towards that purpose, you’ll have a better chance of meeting your targeted goals. If you’ve not yet completed a song but have that burning desire to be a songwriter, think ahead and dream up or imagine what you’d like to accomplish — then set it as a goal.

Getting set to write for the first time

Put together an action plan — some kind of goal-oriented schedule that you hold yourself to. Your individual action plan will depend on your personal goals, but the process is an important step in getting started as a songwriter. A beginner’s action plan might look something like Figure 16-1. ...