Planning is an opportunity to think systematically about opportunities.
An action plan establishes a timeline of activities that need to be accomplished on the way to achieving your goal.
It is an integrated series of small steps – a roadmap guiding you from A to B.
Being an artist, who works with action plans, is no different from being any other professional in their chosen field who simply wishes to approach their work in an organized way. Many artists may find that thinking in a systematic way is against the flow of being an artist, but this is a myth especially when it comes to creating business opportunities, or any professional opportunities that are going to bring career success.
Your work in the studio is something completely different. The success that you have with the work that you create in your studio will stand alone by itself, you will either have successful breakthroughs which will make your work stand out or not; only time will tell. However, to get your work out there into galleries, in front of the general public and collectors, will need you to in some way, develop a systematic approach and to develop a systematic approach you will need an action plan.
For example, I want to have my first exhibition. First thing I will do is to make a plan. Who do I contact? What do I show them? How do I proceed? The beginning of a plan takes place. It doesn’t automatically happen by itself. By following the suggested outline listed below it will help to create in your working life an action plan that will become automatic when you are called to act.
With proper planning, your anxiety about the outcome of your goal will be replaced by directed activity. Practice developing an action plan for a single short-term goal.
(I’ve been using a great software programme called ‘Mindjet Mind Manager’ – A simple clear and clean planning model, available over the internet.)
Go through the following steps.
1. Look over your short-term goal list and choose something that you want to accomplish in a month or two.
2. Write the goal at the top of a page. Then list the actions you will take over the next few days or weeks to complete the goal.
List specific actions, such as researching information, making a phone call, taking a digital image of recently completed work, etc. List them consecutively.
3. Next to each action, write the date you plan to complete it. Be realistic.
4. Do the actions as planned, by either writing up a weekly to-do list or posting this sheet of paper where you can refer to it daily.
Working towards your goals is easier if you can sustain consistent, minimal effort. This will also help you maintain your initial enthusiasm.
As you internalize this process, a system will emerge, as will short cuts.
