🙅‍♂️ Why Big Goals Don’t Work for Me (And What Does)

2024 was the year I didn’t write a single piece of music.

I could tell you I was busy with other projects—my business, education, creating content—but honestly?

Every time I thought about composing, I froze.

• What if it wasn’t good enough?

• What if no one cared?

The more I avoided it, the heavier it felt, until it seemed impossible to even start.

By the end of the year, I picked up on those patterns and told myself that something had to change.

🎊 How I’m Approaching 2025

When I sat down to figure out what went wrong, I realized my problem wasn’t a lack of talent or motivation.

It was the way I was thinking about my goals.

I’d been treating them like a finish line I had to sprint toward. But I don’t want my life to feel like a sprint. I want it to feel like an odyssey… It’s full of twists and turns, and more like an adventure!

This is where my Composer Odyssey Goals system come in.

⭐️ What’s Your North Star?

This is the ultimate dream outcome—a simple but meaningful sentence that aligns your goals with your core values.

For example, my North Star is:

“Empowering composers to live fulfilling careers while also pursuing projects that keep me feeling inspired and connected to my creative passions.”

It’s not a goal in itself but it gives me one direction to shape everything else.

🧭 Long-Term Visions

These are like the compass that leads to the North Star: big-picture dreams with no deadlines.

For me, that includes composing for personally fulfilling projects, protecting my authenticity as a composer, and feeling confident in my abilities, etc.

📒 Yearly Reviews

Before setting new goals, I take time to reflect on the past year—what worked, what didn’t, and what I want to improve.

This gives me the chance to clear the slate before diving into what’s next!

🎯 Quarterly Odyssey Goals

Thinking about my goals for a whole year was overwhelming.

So I’m splitting them into 90-day chunks.

Right now, my focus is to land a new composing gig that keeps me inspired. When the quarter ends, I’ll reassess and adjust.

🔄 Weekly & Daily Check-Ins

Every week, I ask myself two simple questions: What worked? What didn’t?

No overthinking, no guilt—just small adjustments to keep me on track.

And every morning, I start my day by making sure I’m aligning the tasks that actually matter with my goals.

🗺️ Room for Side Quests

Sometimes inspiration hits in unexpected ways (and have nothing to do with your North Star or Long-Term Visions.

Side Quests are low priority goals that you do for fun! I wanted space to follow those instincts without losing sight of the bigger picture.

I know I’m not the only one who feels stuck sometimes. I’ve talked to so many composers who hit those points and feel totally unsure of where to go from here.

For me, this system is a way to take the pressure off.

To focus less on “getting it perfect” and more on staying in motion—even when it’s unclear.

I go deeper into it in my latest video:

Whatever your goals are this year, I hope this gives you permission to approach them in a way that actually feels more sustainable for!