One Success Metric to Win
^^ Listen to a recording of the article below.
^^ Listen to a recording of our discussion about “You Need to do You Need to do to Succeed.”
This was a brilliant piece of advice I got from the Oatley Academy, and it has served me well these past years.
“Your personal project should have one success metric”
Why does this matter?
Have you ever been planning or working on a personal project that’s: going to increase your social media following, land you that new studio gig, impress your family, net you a ton in sales, let you finally go freelance, improve your time management skills, and improve your portfolio - all at the same time?!
That’s a tall order for any personal project, nevermind one that isn’t even finished yet.
When I was making my first illustrated novel, Seen and Unseen, I was the person above. Oh boy, was that book going to do it all - except I hadn’t written it or illustrated it yet.
The trouble with the project that will do it all - it’s damned hard to start when you have a burden that size to bear. It’s even harder to finish.
I decided that I would simplify and use the singular success metric of, “If I finish it, that’s a win.”
That’s it.
I’ve come to love the “If I finish it, that’s a win” success metric.
• It’s easier to post on social media, if the reaction my post gets doesn’t contribute to my win.
• It’s easier to run a patreon if the amount of money I make doesn’t contribute to my win.
• It’s easier to send my project to potential clients if getting hired doesn’t contribute to my win.
Sometimes, you get lucky, and you might get a bonus: more followers, a larger patreon, a new gig - but since that’s not your “win” - if you don’t get those things, your personal project will still be a win for you.
I think if you’re new to personal projects or if you’ve gotten a bit beat up by the world and are looking to get back in the game, using “If I finish it, that’s a win” - is the best place to start.
If you don’t have something to show people, it's hard to move your career forward. Since personal projects aren’t restricted by low budgets or client needs, they can be a place where an artist can truly shine, and be used to get larger, more engaging jobs.
But you need to make the thing first.
Also, “If I finish it, that’s a win” isn’t the only metric in town. There are a lot of valid ones that I’ve used or have seen others use. An incomplete list is:
• I want to get hired by X Studio. I will make a portfolio that matches X Studios style perfectly. If I submit my finished portfolio to them, that’s a win.
• I want to work on X Game. I will make a demo piece that perfectly matches the game’s needs. If I submit my demo piece to them, that’s a win.
• I want more followers. I will make a highly shareable project. If I post it very consistently on social media, that’s a win.
• I want to learn about color. This project is a win if I learn more about color.
• I want to learn about anatomy. This project is a win if I learn more about anatomy.
• I want to get better at talking to people. This project is a win if I can have a conversation about it.
Give it a shot. Let us know how you like it.
Final note:
As I wrote this article, I realized that I’ve gotten a bit too greedy with some of my personal works. I’ve also noticed that I’ve been having trouble working on them recently. I’m going to be paring them back down to one metric. Just thinking this thought, brought me a sense of relief.
I suppose the take away from that is: “At any point in time, you can simplify down to one metric.”
I hope that will be a great help to people working on larger, more long term projects.
Best of luck!
❤️
Sarah
Written by Sarah Dahlinger
Discussed by Sarah Dahlinger and Sarah Forde