It’s the last day of 2016 and HELL-YEH it seems I survived the year! Hell mentioned, there’s a quote reading “On your last day on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.”
Based on the above I’d like to use this blog as a means to wish you all a happy new year and let you know about the 12 goals I’ve set myself for 2017 which could possibly become your own.
1. Kickstart Every Single Day (even those lazy weekends).
Wake Up 30 Mins Earlier
This way I’ll never get stressed again fearing of missing work.
Drink water (500ml)
There’s nothing better than rejuvenating your body just before doing anything else.
Get a small win
Do something that will make me feel proud (like making the bed).
Do The 10 Mins Ab WorkOut
Big changes come from small daily steps. I plan on following this plan here btw.
2. Schedule A Daily Meeting With Myself.
Based on the long term goal which I want to accomplish this will end procrastination and excuses that there wasn’t enough free time.
For me, that means getting down 60-90 minutes of daily vocal training with vocal range exercises and working on new vocal techniques which I was never accustomed before like riffs and runs.
3. Work In Bursts
My daily habit includes working 8 hours a day communicating over the phone or via e-mail with several people from different countries.
During those 8 hours of work there are small or longest breaks that you can easily use to procrastinate and this adds up to an overall feel of slowing down which I personally believe can lead to a state of mind obesity.
I plan to use the Pomodoro Technique to:
- increase my productivity,
- manage my time better
- avoid distractions
- feel more energised after work.
https://youtu.be/CT70iCaG0Gs
That means I will work on a 25 minutes schedule followed by a 5 minute break to answer to anyone on Facebook, check something funny on Youtube or learn/read something new that doesn’t feel like a chore.
4. Stop Saying YES To Things That Don’t Support My Goals
Might sound a bit egocentric but that doesn’t mean I will stop helping out anyone in need or people that have helped me when I asked something.
It will just move some requests down the ladder of my priorities.
Saying NO to certain tasks, activities, and demands from friends, family, and colleagues will of course mean that I am sacrificing a bit of instant gratification.
However, If this helps me accomplish my goals then that would seem like saying YES to myself, no?
5. Offer To The Community – Get Paid From Individuals
I have been working in or around the music industry for almost 15 years now.
Through these years I managed to gather enough experience that many consider valuable. Some even based their bands or activities based on my guidance leading to a series of successes.
Everyone loves to see that his actions can be inspiring for others I love helping the community grow; in my case the music scene around me. Based on the latter, I will continue offering free advice and giving out a lending hand any way I can.
However, I will stop doing 1:1 work for free as a means to:
- separate the serious professionals from the ones seeking free advice with no clear intention of working following the advice given.
- provide a clear framework for someone to work with me.
- create a community of valued customers/partners with whom I will make sure to share MORE than free advice and think first when it comes to sharing paid work that comes up.
6. Limit Playing Or Doing Anything Not Sticking To My Goals
I am a big science fiction fan watching TV series and movies from the genre. I also like playing RPG videogames which I have bought (felt like worth mentioning that in the Internet Age of Downloading Everything For Free).
My plan is to reduce my dependency on my “fun time” long enough to keep it out of the way of my life enriching activities.
Making it more specific:
- I will limit playing videogames (when I feel the urge to do so) and/or watching TV series to no more than 60 mins per day.
No I don’t plan to stop playing as it’s well known that All work and no play makes Kay a dull boy.
7. Focus On Doing One Thing At A Time
This is going to be one of the most difficult tasks for me as for years I have been working as a multitasker believing that it’s the way to go to be succesful.
Well as Winston S. Churchill commented “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.”
According to a recent study by the University of Sussex multitasking doesn’t work. In fact, it decreases productivity by as much as 40%.
In addition to lessening your productivity, it also lowers your IQ and shrinks your brain—reducing density in the region responsible for cognitive and emotional control!
Multitasking is also a myth. It’s just fast task switching between tasks and though some people are really great at doing that (including the writer), it’s single tasking that keeps the brain disciplined and stress free.
8. Reclaim Dead Time
Have you ever heard of Dead Time? It’s the time spent time spent on activities like commuting, working out, buying groceries etc.
It’s the time when your brain is not actively used and can be used to to engage on other activities at the same time.
For me that would mean:
- listening to an audiobook.
- reading a book that would help me enhance a skill like working on Logic Pro X.
- use a pronunciation app to enhance my English skills.
- listen to a new album which I bought from a local band.
9. Work On Building Our Start-Up
So after all these years of being an employee I decided to start a startup with Nikos Pavlou, my polymath flatmate and close friend.
This may come as a shock for some but it won’t be music or IT related yet I really believe it has great potential and can grow exponentially over the coming years.
For the time being I haven’t done much as Nikos has been working on the idea and building the beta version but I will definitely need to get some time assigned to this starting later this January.
Right now we are right before phase of showing the prototype to our first 100 people:
- So for our startup I plan to assign a 60-90 mins time slot of focused daily work.
By the way, we got our logo from Sugahtank, an awesome graphics designer living in Athens, Greece.
10. Stop Being A Perfectionist
For years I have found myself writing so much music that I always felt like it was never good enough to get it out to the world.
On the last 2 months I have come to understand that there’s a difference between perfectionism and high standards. Having healthy high standards and setting realistic goals is good for anyone. Being a perfectionist is not.
No one is perfect and that’s great. It’s our flaws and imperfections that makes us unique.
- Being different, not trying to be perfect is my new goal for 2017.
- Allow myself to make mistakes will give me the opportunity to learn and grow.
11. Try To Meet & Work With People I Admire
Alexander McQueen quoted once: “I work with people I admire and respect. It’s never because of who they are.”
Working with people you admire for their
- ethics,
- intelligence,
- kindness and
- way of thinking
is something that’s definitely worth soughting after.
I intend to make a habit out of that during 2017 choosing my partners based on my admiration factor.
For me that means working with people that:
- are unique in their field.
- stay positive even when bad things happen.
- are more accomplished than me.
12. Prepare For 2018
Though this may sound a bit too much long term planning I believe it’s always good to keep my eyes on how I want 2017 to end for me and what should come after that.
Based on the above I have to prepare for myself a Plan B to ensure money will never be an issue entangling my plans to:
- finalise a new album production with Schooldrivers.
- kickstart my new band project in the United Kingdom.
- build a reputation on the local scene and
- work on building a great network of partners, customers, followers and friends.
To do that I have to:
- secure any sources of income I already have.
- minimise or eliminate any expenses not needed and keep a close track on them.
- enhance my bio and my skills through my work experience and training in order to be in a position to get a raise or a
- better paid position to support my plans.
Of course all of the above are still the tip of the iceberg and don’t include the time spent with my family and other personal matters. It’s a good guide though for me (and possibly for you reading this) to make sure that my most valued currency, TIME, will be better spent this year.
Happy New Year everyone!
Love!
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