Levels of Attention and Commitment

Ambition alone doesn’t lead to success; a structured approach that ties every small action back to a grand purpose does.

Entrepreneurs, artists, and visionaries face the monumental task of turning abstract dreams into a tangible reality.

The ‘Levels of Attention and Commitment’ framework that I am sharing with you in this post provides a comprehensive method for navigating through the complexities of professional and creative life. As you implement the framework, you will ensure that every step you take is deliberate and aligned with your highest ambitions and most important goals.

In other words, this framework will keep you from wasting time working on things that don’t matter!

Here’s a visual for you to reference as we go along:

Unpacking the Framework

The ‘Levels of Attention and Commitment’ is a hierarchy used to clarify what is most important in your life… in the grand scheme of things and also in ‘the weeds’ of your day to day tasks.

It is crucial to learn to ‘zoom in and out’ between the things that need to be done today (zooming in) and the big picture of your life’s purpose and vision (zooming out).

Unless you learn this skill and do it often, you will inevitably find yourself working on things that don’t really matter in the long run.

This model is a tool for increased productivity, a guide for achieving high-level results, and a philosophy for intentional living and working.

Here’s how each level serves as a building block towards constructing a fulfilling career and achieving your life’s purpose:

1. Purpose: Your True North

Your purpose is the core of your existence, the reason behind your pursuits.

It answers the profound question: Why do I do what I do?

Your purpose may be ‘to create timeless music that resonates with a passionate global fanbase’. Or if you are more entrepreneurial, it may be ‘to revolutionize the way people experience music’. 

It doesn’t have to be fancy as long as it rings true to you. My purpose for HOME is ‘to empower music creators’. As a music creator I often felt powerless, so HOME became the solution - the power structure for independent creators like me.

This is your core, your reason for being in the game. It's what fuels you to push forward when everything else says to stop. Your purpose should resonate deeply, guiding all of your decisions and strategies.

You can use this framework to embed an overarching sense of purpose into every action and decision.

For more guidance on clarifying your sense of purpose, be sure to review the Artist Branding Playbook - Part 2 - Create With Purpose.

2. Vision: Your Ambitious Future

Vision is the ability to paint a mental picture of a vivid scenario of success.

It’s the script of your ideal future played out in your mind’s eye—complete with the milestones you anticipate celebrating.

Imagine the feeling you get when a song its a BILLION streams or the roar of the crowd at your first arena show…

Vision turns the intangible into something almost tactile, which not only motivates but also attracts collaborators, investors, and followers who share your dream. This isn’t just about what you want to achieve, but also about the legacy you want to leave.

Having a strong vision is the first step toward manifesting the outcome that you want. The more specific that you can get about it the better.

Turn the process of manifesting your vision into a daily practice by reviewing the 5 techniques that I outlined in last week’s post How to Become Limitless.

3. Roles: Your Part in the Play

Here, you define ‘who’ you need to show up as to make your vision a reality.

Are you a creator, a connector, a leader? We all have to show up in different ways. Identifying these roles helps distribute your energy effectively across your life and work, ensuring that you wear the right hat at the right time.

Each role you play is a piece of the puzzle fitting into your larger picture, guiding you to act with precision and purpose. Recognizing and effectively managing these roles ensures a balanced, fulfilling life.

Here’s a closer look at how roles manifest in both business and personal contexts:

Business Roles

In a professional environment, your roles define your responsibilities and how you contribute to your business goals:

• Leader: Inspiring and guiding people towards achieving your vision.

  • Example: Conducting regular meetings to motivate your team and address ongoing projects.

• Innovator: Driving creativity and new ideas to keep the business competitive.

  • Example: Developing a new social media technique that boosts fan engagement or a new sound that becomes your sonic calling card.

• Marketing Strategist: Planning and executing long-term strategies to achieve sustainable growth.

  • Example: Crafting a plan to leverage influencers in spreading your music.

• Producer: Managing the recording process from start to finish. You don’t have to be an audio engineer to be a producer. It just means you are able to deliver a high quality final product!

  • Example: Coordinating with musicians, tracking engineers, mixing and mastering to ensure that the final product aligns with your artistic vision.

• Songwriter: Crafting lyrics, compositions and melodies that people want to listen to.

  • Example: Setting aside time daily to come up with new ideas and finding collaborators to help you finish the songs you start.

• Content Creator: Creating engaging content that can be distributed across various media platforms to promote your music.

  • Example: Producing an official music video or behind-the-scenes content that showcases your creative process or personal stories.

Personal Life Roles

Outside of work, the roles you assume impact your personal development and your relationships. These roles help you maintain your mental health, happiness, and strong social connections:

• Family Member: Participating in family life and contributing to the household.

  • Example: Planning a family reunion to strengthen bonds and create lasting memories.

• Friend: Offering emotional support and companionship.

  • Example: Regularly catching up with friends to maintain strong relationships.

• Learner: Continuously acquiring new knowledge and skills.

  • Example: Taking a cooking class to improve culinary skills and enjoy healthier meals.

• Volunteer: Giving back to the community through service.

  • Example: Volunteering at a local shelter to help those in need.

• Self-Caretaker: Prioritizing your own physical and mental health.

  • Example: Establishing a daily exercise routine and meditation practice to enhance well-being.

4. Goals: How High You Set the Bar

Goals are how you push yourself toward manifesting your vision. They should be crafted to be as specific and measurable as possible.

Whether it's hitting a follower milestone or completing a new record, goals give you a target and a timeline, making your destination clear and your progress trackable.

See below number six for some important distinctions between goals, projects and actions. For a deep dive into effective goal setting, be sure to revisit Measuring Milestones in Your Music Career.

5. Projects: How You Know You are Making Progress

Projects are the actionable segments of your goals, each with a clear endpoint.

Each project is a series of tasks designed to achieve a specific outcome, with a clear beginning and end. Unlike goals, which are broader aspirations or outcomes, projects are tangible and finite—they have specific deliverables and deadlines. Projects can be seen as the building blocks towards achieving your goals.

After we cover number six, I will provide a specific example to clarify this concept.

6. Actions: Your Daily Steps Forward

The smallest yet most challenging part of the framework, your ‘next actions’ are the tasks you perform.

Every action, no matter how small, is a step towards realizing your projects and, ultimately, your goals, vision and purpose.

When identifying your next actions, it is of utmost importance that you write it out as a singular action and NOT as a project.

Important Distinctions

It's crucial to differentiate between projects, goals, and actions. To clarify the distinctions, let’s look at an example goal:

Goal: Double My Streaming Audience in One Year

To achieve this goal, a strategic approach involving several targeted projects is necessary.

Here are a few projects that could be deployed to meet this ambitious goal, with each project including a specific next action that could jumpstart your progress:

• Project: Release 8 new singles over the next 12 months.

  • Next Action: Schedule the first single release and post a countdown teaser on social media.

• Project: Secure song placements on 10 relevant high-engagement playlists.

  • Next Action: Research and create a list of targeted playlists and gather contact info for their curators.

• Project: Double engagement on social media.

  • Next Action: Plan a weekly live stream Q&A on Instagram with other artists in your genre.

• Project: Collaborate with 3 other artists to tap into their fanbases.

  • Next Action: Reach out to 5 potential artist collaborators whose audiences overlap with your style and audience.

• Project: Implement a targeted social media advertising campaign to drive twice as many people to my music.

  • Next Action: Watch YouTube video on how to create ad campaigns on Facebook and Instagram.

As the projects are completed, you move closer and closer to achieving your goal of doubling your streaming audience in a year.

🎥 A Bonus Video

If you want to dive even deeper into the ‘Levels of Attention and Commitment’ framework, I encourage you to watch the video below. The video is from a small group workshop that I did during the pandemic where I walked through the entire framework with a few Homies.

If you are a HOME Member and want to implement the framework in the same way that we did in the video, you can download the X-Mind template here.

If you are having trouble viewing the video click this link.

Key Takeaways

Design Yourself Into the Person Who Achieves Goals

One of the most profound insights from the framework is the idea of designing yourself into the person who can achieve your set goals.

This requires a deep transformation and self-awareness. To reach the heights you aspire to, you must continuously develop the skills, mindset, and habits that align with your highest objectives.

It's about becoming through doing, ensuring that your daily actions not only contribute to your goals but also mold you into a high performer who is capable of turning them into your reality.

Strategic Awareness and Unified Focus

Achieving clarity in your mission involves developing 'strategic awareness' - a unified focus that connects your immediate actions to your ultimate purpose.

Every decision, every project, and every task should echo your core principles and vision.

Going back to our previous example, you could say the following statement as confirmation that you have unified your focus:

I am taking the action of learning Meta ads, so that I can complete the project of creating a targeted marketing funnel, so that I can achieve the goal of doubling my streaming audience, so that I can fulfill my role as a marketing strategist, so that I can realize my vision of being a full-time artist, so that I can fulfill my purpose of creating timeless music that resonates with a passionate global fanbase.

This alignment ensures that you're not just busy, but productive in a manner that propels you towards your ideal future.

It's about understanding the 'why' behind the 'what' and the 'how' of your daily tasks.

Embrace Role Fluidity and Adaptive Leadership

Your roles at various levels - personal, professional, and creative - demand adaptability.

As you navigate through different phases of your career and projects, your ability to switch roles - from leader to learner, from artist to administrator -becomes a key asset. This flexibility ensures that you can meet challenges head-on without losing sight of your overarching goals.

Living the Framework

The ‘Levels of Attention and Commitment’ isn't just a theoretical model; it's a way of life that demands consistent application and commitment.

As you embed these principles into your daily routines and long-term strategies, they become second nature, guiding you towards a career that's not only successful but also deeply fulfilling.

This is how you align your deepest passions with your daily actions and transform every boring task into a stepping stone towards your dream.