The Right Way to Set Singing Goals and Actually Achieve Them This Year

The new year is almost here!

Are you someone who sets new year resolutions?

I have to admit, I do not set new year resolutions but I do set long term goals that take years to accomplish. So, at the beginning of the year, I review my progress in those goals and tweak my action plans accordingly.

If you would like to make some progress in your singing this new year, I would like to help you set singing goals and action plans to achieve them.

Set Realistic Expectations

Bill Gates once said: “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

To me, setting realistic expectations means being honest about what can be achieved based on current ability level; and the time and energy commitment that is practical; based on current life circumstances.

To put it simply, look at what you can already do in singing (ability level) and how much time and energy you can spend to improve your singing skills (time and energy commitment) based on how busy/available you are or how financially feasible it is (life circumstances).

For example, you are a beginner singer who knows almost nothing about singing. You have been told you have a decent voice and you would like to develop it and see where it takes you. You want to sing in a musical theatre production one day, but that is a distant dream.

You work as a casual and you can afford weekly private lessons. You have the time to do lessons on Tuesdays because you do not have university classes that day.

An achievable goal would be to learn to sing 1 song with moderately good technique and freedom of expression - in 2 months’ time.

Make a Singing Goal Statement

Now, we are going to summarize your goal into one statement.

Phrase it in a positive statement using present tense.

Using the example above, your goal statement will be:
“I can sing 1 song with moderately good technique and freedom of expression by [insert date 2 months from now]."

Also, remind yourself why you want to achieve this goal. Is it to make yourself proud? Feel empowered because you can now sing the songs you love? This will keep you going when times get tough and you feel like giving up. Your “why” is your fuel.

Vision Board

Put this statement somewhere you can look at everyday. Let it seep into your subconscious.

Condense your statement into trigger words. For example: “1 song, 2 months”.

If you are a visual person, start a Pinterest board with images of successful singers. On iPhones, you can even insert images into Notes.

If you are an auditory person, make a playlist of your favorite singers and the songs you want to get good at. Listen to those songs and imagine yourself singing them with confidence and sounding awesome.

Give those ideas a try, even if you do not think you will look at the images or listen to the songs much. The idea is to make the intention concrete so your mind can start bringing your goal into physical reality.

Break It Down into Milestones

Break your big goal into smaller chunks that you can manage. This way, you eliminate overwhelm by focusing on one small step each day/week.

The key to achieving big goals is consistency. It is hard to be consistent if we feel overwhelmed by what we have to do. The solution is to do a little everyday and get 1% better everyday. When you get small wins everyday, your dopamine levels stay high - keeping you motivated to achieve your singing goals.

Using the same example, your action plan can look like this:

Week 1
Learn the lyric

Week 2
Learn the melody

Week 3
Learn the rhythm

Week 4
Learn verse 1 and chorus

Week 5
Learn verse 2 and bridge

Week 6
Put it all together

Week 7
Add personal expression

Week 8
Finalize

Goal Setting Sheet and Action Plan PDF Download

I made a worksheet to help you set your singing goals and action plan.

Download your singing goal worksheet here

Conclusion

I hope you now feel better equipped to set and achieve your singing goals! Remember: consistency is key. You are allowed to fall behind schedule sometimes because life happens. What matters is you get back on track as soon as possible. There is no need to beat yourself up. Just get back on track and keep moving.

You got this!