So many goals, so little me

Since getting out of my existential funk from the past couple of years, I’ve been focused on what my goals are for my life. Years ago, in times of trying to do this, I kept my goals very vague:

• Be successful at my career
• Find someone to marry and settle down
• Continue to improve on trombone
• etc. etc.

They are all very nice sounding goals and such, but by keeping them vague, I gave myself an out, in that I didn’t know how I would accomplish those goals. Since then I have learned that for me to be successful, I need to set attainable, defined goals. My current list:

• Become proficient enough in jazz to either participate in or form a jazz combo that earns paying gigs
• Continue to be employed as a teacher in the public schools until such time that I can embark on my goal of running a community music school as my career.
• Learn to/Develop my ability to compose music. The current goal is to compose jazz tunes for combo and/or big bands. I keep the option of composing in other genres open as well.
• Become debt-free (pay off any and all loans)
• Adjust my lifestyle so that I am a healthier person.

Admittedly, a couple of those are still vague, but the ability to set defined goals within them is attainable. My big problem is now, how do I accomplish all of that in my human lifetime? I look at those goals, and realize, damn, I could have been a lot farther along towards those goals if only I had…..(there are a myriad of things I could put here).

 

Some time soon, I will create a checklist of things to accomplish, I’m just a little hesitant to think how long that list will be. To quote a movie: “Baby-steps”

I’ve already began some baby-steps:

• I play in a jazz combo at Phoenix College
• I am taking jazz improvisation lessons
• I am currently kicking around ideas of how I could start off the process of creating this school of mine. My first step has been to home my skills as a private instructor. My next step is possibly going to be a summer music camp in 2012…