Recently, I found a card stock star with my junior high school photo in the center. Around my smiling face were goals written on the arms of the star. Some of these goals were short-term or habit goals. But there was one long term goal that I only just accomplished. 20 years later. 

For many years since I wrote this goal, I carried around a lot of shame. Shame lived in my head in a cacophony of “not good enough.” Some of this was even reinforced by teachers and professors. It felt very real and very true. So of course, why would I think my long-term goal was reachable? I wasn't good enough! 

Enter the book Daring Greatly by Brené Brown. I learned that failure is necessary to success. I learned that vulnerability and leaving oneself open to the possibility of failure is necessary for creativity to thrive. The stress and constraints that I had been crushed by for so many years started to loosen. No longer would I take people's snide remarks about my pride keep me from being a composer. It's not wrong to be creative and to believe and hope that other people will enjoy it and be blessed by it. 

This was a life-changing lesson. 

I had amassed many recordings of my compositions, but they weren't good enough to be released on streaming services. But what if it didn't need to be perfect? This thought was further reinforced by a friend of mine who said, “Aim to get your work 80% complete and then submit it.” The point being that if you wait until it's 100% in your mind, you won't get there because you'll still notice flaws. Better to do the thing. 

So I did. I did the thing.  

I didn't stay in a perfectionist cycle, I decided I had reached 80% of what I wanted, and I released Tranquility in December of 2023. No rerecords. No outside help with mixing and mastering. Sorry folks who can tell! And the reactions from friends and family have been so wonderful. I've been asked to play my music for weddings and funerals. My album is played before my church's Sunday services. It has brought joy to many people's faces in my life. I'm so grateful. 

But my goal hadn't been fulfilled yet! 

The final step was submitting my album for an official copyright from the United States' Library of Congress. I received the certificate in early 2024 and now my 20 year old goal has been fulfilled. 

“To write my music on paper and get it copyrighted.”

You can accomplish your goals even if they are decades old. Go for it!

Labels: goal setting, how to