What experiences do you want to have as a voice actor? What is your “reach for the stars” goal? Go ahead. Dream big. There are no limits. Do you dream of being the announcer for the Academy Awards? Do you dream of winning an Audie Award for your narration of an audiobook? Do you dream of becoming your own boss? Or do you dream of becoming the most sought-after voice actor for video games? What is your ultimate dream?
What steps should you take to achieve these dreams? If you want to be successful in this business, you need to write goals. Goal setting is the powerful process of thinking about your ideal future and turning your vision into reality. Goals provide focus, direction and motivation. Goals help you take control and guide you along the journey to where you want to be.
To help identify your goals:
1. Determine your WHY
Why did you decide to pursue a career in voice-overs? Knowing your “why” will give you purpose and keep you motivated. It will inspire you. You will do whatever it takes to be successful. Knowing your “why” is powerful and can lead to determining the “how.”
2. Visualize the BIG picture
Envision the future that really excites you. What do you really want to do? What does success look like to you? Get a clear picture of what you want. The more clarity you have in defining your success, the better you will be at achieving exactly what you want for your voice-over business.
As you visualize your “reach for the stars” goal, consider working backwards to break it down. Where do you see your voice-over career in 10 years from now? Breaking it down even more, where do you want your voice-over career to be 5 years from now? One year from now?
How about one month from now?
3. WRITE it down
Quickly write down what came to your mind. Write down everything you want for your voice-over career. When you write something down, you state your intentions and set things in motion. The physical act of writing down your goals sends a neurological message to your brain that they are real and tangible. Your brain will know where you want to concentrate your efforts.
Once you finish brainstorming, set a timeline for each of your goals. Begin to focus on the goals you will commit to accomplishing this year. Start to design these goals with more precision. SMART goal setting – – writing goals that are specific, relevant, measurable, actionable and time-bound – – is a way to move your rough goals from abstract ideas into specific action steps. These action steps will define exactly what you need to do to accomplish each goal and why you want to do it.
4. Take ACTIONABLE steps
Make monthly, weekly and daily goals that are smaller steps moving towards your annual goals. At the start of each month, consider writing goals in the following 6 categories;
- technique – To improve my technique, I will __________.
(hire a coach, audition everyday, join an improv group, take signing lessons to improve breath control, etc.)
- studio – To improve the quality of my studio, I will __________.
(set-up my recording equipment, install sound-dampening material, have an engineer provide feedback on the quality of my audio, upgrade my recording software, purchase a new microphone, etc.)
- financial – To improve my cash flow, I will __________.
(put $150 into savings each month for creating my website, register my business as an LLC, book enough jobs to make $3,000 this month – – which equates to $750 a week or $150 a day)
- marketing – To improve my marketing, I will __________.
(launch my website, create a profile on a P2P site, define my marketing plan, research my target market, start a potential client list, launch a new marketing campaign, contact 8 new prospects, follow-up with all eLearning clients, join the Chamber of Commerce, etc.)
- productivity – To clarify my tasks and increase my productivity, I will __________.
(create a rate card, create an email and/or cold-calling script, create a template for invoicing, set-up a Customer Relationship Manager and accounting system, etc.)
- health – To improve my health, I will __________.
Please don’t overlook this category. Often it is easy to become complacent about our health while standing behind a microphone and then sitting in front of our computer all day. Set a timer. Get up! Get out! Get some fresh air. Take good care of you mind, your body and your vocal health.
At the end of each month, keep track your success. Look back and ask yourself if you accomplished each goal. If you have, great! Check those off! Celebrate! Then, move forward and make additional goals to layer on top of your previous goals.
If not, why not? Keep your goals and expectations realistic. Re-evaluate, adjust and continue working on these as your next month’s goals. And always keep in mind that progress towards your annual goals.
And don’t forget the importance of weekly and daily goals. At the start of each week, have a general daily outline of goals to accomplish. At the start of each day have a specific, time-structured “to-do” list. This will allow you to begin the day refreshed and with a pre-planned focus.
5. STICK with it
Post your goals in a visible place to remind yourself everyday what you intend to do. Expect a positive outcome from your actions. Take risks and work hard at moving forward one step at a time. Stay confident. Stay committed. Review and evaluate your progress often. Celebrate your accomplishments! Live your dreams
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Interested in some further help reaching your voice-over goals? Click Here For Details on our Marketing & Career Advisory Program and take your career to the next level!
Joleene Derks is a Marketing and Career Advisory Coach with Such A Voice. She has been a full-time voice actor and on-camera talent since 2010. She voices radio and television commercials, corporate training videos, eLearning modules and long form narration. You can find her on LinkedIn or at www.joleenederks.com.
