I’ve written before about SMART goals, but last year, I came across the idea of HARD goals, and it was a bit of a revelation.
What are HARD goals?
HARD goals are big goals. They’re not manageable, or realistic; instead, they’re:
- Heartfelt – something that you really want to achieve. It’s a goal which you feel strongly about in a way that motivates you.
- Animated – something that you can imagine achieving. You can really see the day that you’re going to get there.
- Required – something you feel you have to do. It’s something you need to rather than have to do.
- Difficult – something that’s beyond your abilities right now, but you are going to go for it anyway.
Think about the great songs from the musicals – none of the big dream songs are realistic, or time-bound. They’re not measurable or specific. They’re big, expansive, imaginary dreams that drive our protagonists forward. Think about Elphaba at the start of Wicked. In the song, The Wizard and I, she describes her heartfelt desire to meet the Wizard. It’s fully of animation with her imaginary conversation. It’s clearly something she feels is required for her future happiness, and it’s definitely difficult! This HARD goal is what drives her through the whole first half of the show (and if you want to know what happens in the second half, you should definitely try to see it!).
HARD goals are what we really find motivating. Why else would humans have climbed Everest, circumnavigated the globe or travelled into space?
Setting HARD Goals
Let’s face it, you probably have a HARD goal or two already. Perhaps it’s a life-sized HARD goal, like wanting to become a professional singer. Or maybe something a little smaller, but no less challenging, like singing in public. One of my HARD goals is to learn to accompany my students on the piano (I’m a first study singer, and only started piano lessons a few years ago).
The first part of setting a HARD goal is to work out what HARD goals you already have. What do you dream of? It might feel stupid, or impossible. It might seem ridiculous. That’s ok. Remember this is supposed to be a difficult goal.
If you don’t already have a HARD goal that comes to mind, try thinking about what you’d like your life to be like in five, ten or twenty years. Where does music fit in? What place does it have? Is it your career? A valued hobby? A way you are volunteering your skills? What kind of music can you play? What qualifications do you have? Are you in a choir? It should provide some inspiration!
Using Your HARD Goals
HARD goals are all about inspiration. They’re the things that drive us forward. Why not write them down? Keep them in your music notebook or on the wall in your room. Keep them in your mind so that when you are struggling to practice, or wondering why you bother, you can remember the goals that make you feel alive.
Our HARD goals can help us to make SMART goals too, and this is what I’m going to talk about next time.
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