An efficient way to achieve something is to set a measurable goal with a deadline. Ditto for DJing – life gets in the way, and before you know it, another year has come and gone without you getting closer to what you want to reach in your DJing. So today’s post is to make sure that doesn’t happen to you in 2016!
(We asked our readers back January 2015 what their goals were for the year. We had some amazing stories of success from many of the people who took part in this exercise back then – it really works, trust us! We’ll be posting some of those success stories soon..)
But whether or not you took part last year, now it’s your turn! In the comments below, tell isyour goals for the year. Before you do, check out the three steps below on how to write effective DJ goals.
3 steps to achieving your 2016 DJ goals
1. Choose two SMART, actionable goals
The goals you want to reach begin with your dreams – what do you want to achieve? Do you want to get out of your bedroom and DJ in public? Do you want to produce your first track? Do you want to learn how to scratch? Find out what it is that you want to accomplish in your DJing, and then set a “SMART” goal.
SMART is an acronym, meaning Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. It means that the strongest goals are the most concrete, objective ones with a set deadline. Not all goals are created equal!
For example, saying “I’ll gig more this year” is an example of a weak goal, whereas “I’ll DJ one Saturday every month at the local bar starting in February” is an example of a strong, SMART goal: It’s specific (I will DJ), measurable (one Saturday every month), attainable (you can get in touch with the bar manager to arrange for the slot), realistic (you’re not asking for a gig at Tomorrowland… at least not yet), and has a Timely deadline (starting in February).
Also, we’re asking you to set just two goals because these goals will have to be challenging and inspiring for you – they’ll need to have some degree of difficulty / a learning curve to jump so that you grow in the process, and they also have to be something that fires you up. Don’t set a ho-hum goal that you know you can comfortably accomplish without much effort: Great things happen when you step out of your comfort zone. Become comfortable with being uncomfortable!
It may sound like wuwu mumbo jumbo, but it just works – dreams without a deadline remain dreams. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.
2. Post your two SMART goals in the comments
Once you’ve decided on your SMART goals, post them in the comments below. By doing that, you’re committing to your two goals for 2016 in public which will make you more likely to strive to reach them. That also means you’ve got the entire Digital DJ Tips community behind you to back you up and give suggestions, plus we’ll also hold you accountable for them.
3. Get started right now!
Set aside a few minutes right now to think through one or two SMART goals and post them in the comments. Then we want you to review those goals regularly (I do it on a weekly basis) – just keep them written down on your smartphone or on a piece of paper on your desk.
Whenever you review those goals, always ask yourself “What’s the next step I can do right now to help me achieve my goals?” Big goals can be achieved by chunking them down into smaller ones: If you want to learn how to scratch, for example, that could mean getting the baby scratch under your belt. Or if you want to get into mobile / wedding DJing, it could be looking for lists of the most popular disco songs to top up your library with.
Once you’ve zeroed in on your next step, work on that until you’ve done it, and when it comes time to review your goals again, simply ask yourself what the next step would be. This leads to a domino effect where small actions steps help you knock down bigger ones down the road.
Get on it…
Make 2016 a better year for your DJing and post those two SMART goals right now. We’ll follow up with you in through private e-mail to check in on how you’re doing.
I’ll be straight with you – I was never a fan of this goal setting stuff before, but as cliche as it sounds, doing it changed my DJing (and my life!) for the better.
PS. I hit three of my goals for last year: I can scratch at gigs now (thanks for the training, Steve!), got an average of 15,000+ plays for my mix show podcast, and was able to release my four-song EP on a small scale, and will go on sale this April 2016 (finally!).
Get started and write your two SMART goals below. After that, check out the goals our other readers have set, and if you one you’re familiar with or have accomplished in the past, feel free to give advice and encouragement. We’re here for you every step of the way!
Joey Santos
