2025 Goalsetting

Boy, do I ever need to lose weight.

I’ve put on a lot of extra weight since COVID. Like many people, I stress-ate my way through those early months.

Now it’s time to get serious and take the weight off.

That’s one of my primary goals for 2025. But it’s not the only one.

I’ll get to my other goals in a moment. First, what are YOUR goals?

Goals are a tricky thing. Many of us know what we ‘want’ to accomplish. And we may know what we ‘should’ accomplish.

The funny thing is, it’s okay for those goals to change and morph as we get older.

23 years ago, my goal was simply to make a full-time living as a magician. No day job, no crutch. Just paying my bills by performing magic.

At that time, it meant taking any and all gigs that came my way. I was truly a ‘magic for all occasions’ guy.

Birthdays. School shows. Library shows. Daycare shows. Corporate banquets. Even a few trade shows.

It was crazy trying to keep up with all of those market demands.

A few years later, once I began to see the earning potential, my goal was to hit the six-figure mark. That was a sweet goal to hit.

Eventually, the goal morphed into “Match or exceed the year before.” And hitting that felt good.

But my goals changed. Now my goal is to spend less time than the year before in hotels.

New goals were added. I became a professional copywriter, using that skill to supplement my performing income, allowing me to n spend more time at home.

Why do I tell you all of this? It’s because it’s okay for your goals to change.

I was talking with a good friend, a fellow performer, yesterday about how weird magicians are. Many base their success solely on how many shows they do each year.

I honestly don’t know exactly how many shows I do each year. I’m more interested in how much money I make VS how many nights I spend in a hotel each year.

And that’s my bigger point: it’s okay to change your goals. Too many magicians – heck, too many people – think that goals are rigid.

Your priorities change…or at least they should, as you get older. Some people start families. Others zero in on one market. But goals can and should evolve.

One of my goals years ago was to focus on the school market. I enjoyed the good behavior of kids in schools compared to birthdays. I enjoyed (still do) performing bigger magic for large audiences.

Mostly, however, I enjoy that my shows have more meaning to them beyond just a fun show.

When setting your goals, look at what you need to do and line it up with what you want to do.

When you’re first starting out, I get it. You just want to get out there and gig, man.

But as you gain more experience, you’ll likely discover you enjoy performing certain shows more than others. Zero in on those shows.

Specialists make more money than the ‘all occasions’ folks. Don’t believe me? Compare the average income of a cardiologist to a general practitioner.

Or maybe you love performing so much that you’ll stay an ‘all occasions’ performer. That’s okay too if you truly enjoy it.

For me, I have to hit a certain financial goal each year to contribute to my share of the bills. My wife doesn’t care how I get there. She just wants me to be happy.

Knowing this, I became a copywriter as a backup in case performing never came back after COVID. Now that I’m performing a lot again, I’m finding balancing the two difficult.

Knowing I have monthly copywriting assignments due to my clients is great. But sometimes my performing cuts into my allotted copywriting time.

This year, my goals have evolved once again.

I’ve managed to rediscover my love of performing. So this year’s goal is to do whatever I can to get more local gigs.

This includes more of a focus on library shows. They are all local, offer great repeatability, and allow me to perform some truly off-the-wall shows.

I’m also going to focus on doing more foam parties. I did 23 or so such parties last year, mostly as an experiment to see if I liked them.

Despite the heavy equipment, to my surprise, I discovered I really liked foam parties. They were a low-stress gig that saw me out in the sun listening to good music.

The entire time I heard the giggles of little kids playing in the foam. What’s not to love?

So yeah, more of that.

Increasing my performing, even locally, means I’ll have less time for copywriting. That means when I do take on a new client, my time is going to be very valuable.

And expensive.

Like most businesses, I’ll be raising my fees this year. So if you’ve considered having me help you with your marketing efforts, now is a good time to reach out.

I’ll be raising my fees very soon. Plus, I won’t have much room for new clients this year.

So, the big takeaways from this week’s newsletter…

• Set goals each year. Compare what you need to do with what you want to do. Strike a balance between those two.
• Don’t be afraid to alter or adjust your goals.
• It’s perfectly natural for goals to change along with our priorities as we get older.
• Find what moves you, what ignites your passion. Head in that direction.

Have a great week!

--Cris

P.S. By the way…whenever you’re ready, here are 4 ways I can help you grow your magic business to book more shows at higher fees:

 
1. Grab my FREE report for professional working magicians.

It’s called “The 2-Word Secret to Eliminate Your Competition & Become Your Area’s Busiest Magician.” This report reveals a strategy that almost NO magicians are using (and the ones who are don’t use it correctly). Get your free copy HERE.

2. Get my website video training for under $10:

 
In this 2-hour video training, I’ll reveal exactly what your website needs if you want to succeed as a professional entertainer in the 21st century. Get all the details HERE.

 
3. Get a complete business-building plan handed to you on a silver platter.

 
Not sure how to move your magic business forward? I’ll analyze your complete magic business (website, market, competition, and more) and give you a complete game plan for getting your performing business to the next level. Find out how HERE.

 
4. Work with me privately.

 
Need help in multiple areas? I can help you with your website, direct mail, email, or other marketing strategies. I also offer consulting services for crafting magic routines or even entire shows. Want to find out more? Shoot me an email at cris@theprofessionalmagicianclubpro.com.

5. Check out my extensive line of magic routines and marketing products

I have several professional routines, marketing courses, books, and other resources to boost your shows and make booking shows easier and more profitable. Check out my line of products HERE.

To find out more how I can help you book more shows at higher fees, click the button below to see my list of services.

© Copyright Cris Johnson, Inc.