BHAGs for 2009 - Setting your audacious goals

What are your music performance goals for 2009? Are they last years goals plus a little bit more? Have you written them down? Are your goals placed in a visible spot so you will be reminded of them each day? On your shaving or makeup mirror? On your computer's screen saver? ON YOUR BLOG??!

There is a school of thought that writing down succinct, over-ambitious goals is an excellent method to stimulate creativity and superlative performance. In my trade as a strategist, the term BHAG or Big Hairy Audacious Goals is used.

Key features of BHAGs are that

1. You make your BHAG's 'public' ... to some degree beyond your inner consciousness
   
2. They are excessively beyond your current and normal expectations of achievement
   
3. You don't expect to achieve them
   
4. You can imagine vividly the benefits of having achieved the BHAG

My BHAGs are in the early stages of evolution. They cover these areas:

1. Gaining commissions to sing in solos, duets, and small groups.... as a basis for doing what I love to do before an appreciative audience, and earning an income
2. Success in competitions ... as a basis for improving my performance quality
3. Sharing my experience as a 'reflective practitioner' of performing arts to those who would gain value from my progress ... learners, teachers, coaches.
4. Building my influence and impact as an innovation-focused director and leader in the field of performing and screen arts.
   

In a later posting, I will elaborate these themes into BHAGs. For example, under the theme of competition, one element of my BHAG is to win the NZ Aria Competition in 2009. However, I will be well-satisfied this year if I gain a position in the finals of the composition (10 positions). This BHAG is a stretch for me, as I require to prepare two Aria roles that are well-matched to my capabilities and compare strongly with the capabilities of young, ambitious, and well-trained full time singing students!

Well, it's time to go into recluse for a couple of weeks. Off-grid so far as the internet is concerned. Time for some mountain trecking, sailing, reading .... and commencing the track towards achieving my BHAGs!

Not Mordor and Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings. This is Mt Ngaruhoe viewed from Mt Ruapehu. These are active volcanoes across which I will be guiding a small group of visitors: the UNESCO World Heritage Tongariro Crossing.

(The location was used for filming some aspects of LOR.)

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