Thread by @jmikolay

Goal Setting for the Creative Process—a framework for publishing more in 2022 than the rest of your life combined:

This week @SahilBloom published "The Goal Setting Guide," a framework for successful goal setting.

As usual, he presents a better, clearer way to think – and his framework is simple to understand.

https://twitter.com/SahilBloom/status/1477307368534949890?s=20

Sahil’s framework is powerful for setting goals in any category.

But it’s invaluable in one specific category:

The creative process.

Like Sahil, I’ve set and failed to achieve a lot of goals.

Especially creative goals

So I deconstructed creative goal setting, and what I learned maps to Sahil’s conclusion.

Consistent creative production, like consistent goal achievement, is never an accident.

Across every category, the key is the same: establishing process goals.

In Sahil’s words, “2-3 daily actions that create tangible, compounding progress.”

Last month I rebuilt my creative process around a new framework.

My framework is a variation of the Goal Setting Guide (GSG)—but optimized for creative work.

My creative framework has three parts:

(1) My Posture & Priorities
(2) My Daily Process
(3) My Creative Rhythm

Works like the GSG, but with a few twists.

Let’s walk through each part…

Part 1: Posture & Priorities

This establishes goal categories (like the GSG)

You can choose health, career, education, relationships, finance, leisure, etc.

Per @SahilBloom's GSG, for each category, you need:

-1 big goal
-1 medium-term goal
-2-3 daily process goals

Here’s a twist and why I call it a Posture & Priorities statement...

If your goals aren’t clear on all levels, you need to unlock yourself.

That means zooming out and writing "top matter." (You won't need this once you're clear on all levels)

Top Matter 1.

Unify your goals into a mission, and write it in plain english:

Example:
I help people become better and more prolific creators (and I build personal leverage to help more people)

Top Matter 2.

Write the approach you take to achieving your mission.

Example:
I’m optimistic about life and focused on the next ten years; I’m systematic about learning and committed to a daily rhythm; and I’m relentless about publishing and surrounded by creative people.

Top Matter 3.

Collapse goals together and state them as a mantra:

Examples:
-Commit to a Daily Rhythm (“Live like a clock”)
-Optimize for Creative Work (“Sleep on the factory floor”)
-Surround Myself with Creators (“Inhabit the frontier”)

Layout your Posture & Priorities on a single page.

If you want, state your goals as mantras so they stick.

Sahil wrote, "Never establish over three daily process goals."

I believe that's true, so for health, career, and education I collapse daily process goals to three.

Which gets me to...

Part 2: My Daily Process

Daily requirements are things I do every day that make other things take care of themselves.

Enforcing daily requirements “imposes discipline that accumulates to results,” as Jim Collins puts it.

My Daily Process Goals are:
1. Run/walk 15k+ steps or exercise equivalent
2. Do three hours of focused, creative work
3. List top 3 problems I can solve in <30 min, and solve the most important

Part 3: My Creative Rhythm

The elements of my Creative Rhythm aren't required on a daily basis.

But they count toward and help me meet the daily process goal of creative work. I do them most days, in the same way I put on shoes and go outside.

My Creative Rhythm is:
-Write longhand freely (250 words)
-Add Book of Wisdom notes (three thoughts worth keeping)
-Format a reference (one source worth keeping)

(threads to follow soon on Book of Wisdom notes and reference formatting)

Excellent criteria for daily process goals and requirements:
-If you can prove you met similar daily requirements in the recent past
-If you meet your daily requirements, you'll meet my yearly goals

I have InDesign and PDF templates of:
-My Postures & Priorities Statement
-My Daily Process
-My Creative Rhythm

If you want them like the top tweet and reply.

If you're interested in my creating a Notion file for them, let me know.

I believe Goal Setting for the Creative Process is a framework for consistent creative production.

And a foundation for anyone setting creative goals.

That includes the #ship30for30 community, many of whom recently boarded the ship. @dickiebush @Nicolascole77

And if we needed further reminder about the power of consistency, see the biggest lesson @APompliano has learned over five years working on content...

https://twitter.com/APompliano/status/1477433895792615429?s=20

Thanks to @SahilBloom for this inspiration and to all creators optimizing their processes.

DMs open and I'll be following up soon w/threads showing my Notion-creative environment -- and with more thoughts on the creative process.