How Creativity Challenges Your Goals

The Challenge of Creativity

Creativity can become a challenge to your goals.

One of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs and small business owners is actually a good thing. Yet, if not directed in an empowering way, it can be a disadvantage.

I’m talking about being creative – coming up with business ideas. When you combine natural creativity with all the shiny objects that come into our email inbox, they can be a deadly combination.

‘Deadly combination' sounds a little extreme? Not really.

As a creative person, you will always be thinking of ways where you can improve yourself and your business.

When you attempt to implement different ideas at the same time, you lack focus. And without focused attention and allowing time to see what is working before you switch to another strategy, nothing will work.

That will mean slowing down your business growth or even destroying any hope you have of succeeding. This is why creativity challenges your goals.

You will never achieve momentum in your business if you do not allow yourself time to focus and implement so that you can see results.

Effective Creativity Control

• Learn to recognize shiny objects – offers and programs that seem enticing – to be just what they are. Distractions! These distractions pull you in every direction except the path you need to remain on in order to achieve your goals and vision.
• It means that you must determine what you want to do and have a clear picture in your mind of what you want to achieve and how.
• Focus your efforts around your goal, which means that you must eliminate and avoid anything that does not contribute to your progress.
• Be committed to yourself and your goals so that you avoid the temptation to jump on the promises attached to shiny objects.

The Challenges of Creativity and Your Goals

An off-shoot of our natural creativity is the belief that we can set multiple goals and work on them at the same time.

This is a recipe for failure. You’ve probably heard the expression that you can’t chase two rabbits at one time. You will catch neither one.

There is nothing wrong with having multiple goals. Write them all down and keep them in a safe place. Then take some time to analyze all the goals you’ve written down and decided which is the most important you should pursue first. Your ONE goal should be the one that going to take you closer to your big picture vision.

It should be a goal that fits the S.M.A.R.T goals formula:

S = Specific

M = Measurable

A = Attainable or Achievable.

R = Realistic

T = Time Sensitive or Time-Based

Attainable/Realistic means that the goal is possible, but it’s going to make you stretch out of your comfort zone. If it’s something that you can easily attain, there’s no point in making a goal, is it? You can just go ahead and do it.

At the same time, you want to set reasonable, reachable goals. One of the biggest obstacles to success is unrealistic expectations. When you have unrealistic expectations and they’re not realized in the time you feel you should see results, you become impatient.

This makes me think of a quote I read some time ago: “Impatience is the forerunner to failure.”

Unrealistic goals set unrealistic expectations and when these do not happen in the time you imagine they should have, you become frustrated and feel you’re a failure. Or you decided that “this does not work.”

Instead, break down your big goals and set “mini” goals that you can reach each day and week. Don’t get frustrated – stay focused. A positive attitude is born out of producing results, and results come gradually.

How to Decide on Your Next Goal

To help you identify your ONE goal, ask yourself these questions:

• Why are you doing what you’re doing? The why provides motivation even when you feel discouragement. Knowing the why will also help clarify your goal.
• In the second quarter of 2021, what achievement from this first quarter will have the most significant impact on your life and get you closest to achieving your big picture vision for the year? If you’re looking to become healthier, for example, become a non-smoker. If you’re looking to change careers, it might be going back to school for more training.
• What takes your full attention while you’re doing it? Where does your passion lie? Are you consumed by organizing solutions? Perhaps being an organizer is what you need to investigate.
• What do you believe that is worth doing that maybe other people wouldn’t? That is a question designed to give insight into your personality.
• What are you passionate about? What makes you so passionate that you don’t mind standing alone to do it? What drives you or from what do you take comfort? How can that be a part of the goal? Or can it become the goal?

As I work with my clients in 2020, I’ve been encouraging them to have a BIG GOAL for the year or to create a BIG VISION of what they’d like to accomplish at the end of 2021. The difference is that I’ve been encouraging them to focus on quarterly or 90-day goals. 

There are two significant reasons for the above recommendation:

a. If we experience challenges that are in any way, shape, or form closely resembling what we experienced in 2020, it’s easier to make adjustments and change directions, if necessary. Or, as the word that has become very popular suggests, it’s easier to pivot.

b. Knowing that you have to focus on ONE goal for only 90 days, makes it easier, psychologically, to maintain your focus.

• Translate your goal into a number. Numbers are easier to remember. What number? f you’re a shopaholic and find yourself buying shoes or clothes you don’t need, calculate on average how much you spent last year. Tabulate those and arrive at a dollar amount.
• Keep your eyes on the prize. Get out a sheet of paper. Write that number down in big, bold, colorful numbers. Use crayons if you like. Post that number where you can see it. Often. Use it to remind yourself of what to avoid.

Learn to prioritize your goals. You will find it easier to pick the one that means the most to you right now. Then put your focus solidly on that particular goal until you get to where you want to go.

When you’re able to be creative, yet focused, you’re displaying qualities of the CEO of your business. Leaders take the time to learn what they need to do to grow their company or their business and execute effectively and efficiently. Are you ready to become the CEO of your business?

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