Reverse-Engineered Goals

New semester, new year, new blog. Welcome (back)! 

The first blog of every semester is usually focused on goal-setting for the semester and the school year. I would encourage you to read this, or this, or this, or this if you'd like some specific guidance on how to create meaningful goals. Any of the methods described in those blogs can lead you to success, so it's a good idea to try different ones and see what works best for you. 

I learned about a different process this summer when I read Prof. David Eggers's book, Crafting an Intentional Career for the Musical Theatre Performer (Routledge, 2025). I recently reviewed the book for Classical Singer magazine. Here's a section of the review outlining the system that David recommends for "reverse-engineering" your career: 

Chapter five, “An Intentional Career,” is notable for its direct ties to the book’s title. One of the journaling exercises presented therein relates to “the reverse-engineered career.” It encourages readers to provide a detailed assessment of the current state of their careers, followed by outlining their aspirations for what they would like their lives to be in the future—five years from now and three years from now. Then the task is to spell out which skills and “qualities of being” will have developed (and in what ways) that will have facilitated that success. Eggers further encourages them to imagine what actions they will have taken and how they will have overcome obstacles during those years. Of course, as he explains, there is no guarantee that events will play out as the exercise projects. “The exact ‘how’ of getting where you want to go is often, if not always, unclear,” he says. “…[but] if you are clear about your compelling future and you’re laying the groundwork for it by taking actions, and by becoming who you must be, the ‘how’ will present itself.” 

It seems to me this same approach could work when setting goals, as well. 

First, provide a detailed assessment of the current state of your vocal capabilities and then outline what capabilities you would like to have three to five years from now. This could be a list of roles you aspire to perform or maybe just some of the repertoire you'd like to be able to sing. 

Second, spell out the skills that will have developed in three to five years that will allow you to sing that repertoire: higher range, improved riffing ability, tone quality development, consistent belt-mix, etc. 

The other part of that, which shouldn't be ignored, is to identify the "qualities of being" that will have allowed you to get to that improved place with your capabilities. That could differ from person to person, but some qualities that come to my mind could be fortitude, resilience, curiosity, and desire. 

Third, identify what actions you will have taken and what obstacles you will have overcome to get where you wanted to be. For actions, that could be specific exercises used to target particular skills, but it could also mean committing to regular practice every week for a period of years. Then, importantly, you can also anticipate what obstacles you will have overcome, which could be frustration, temptation to focus on other things, or negotiating a busy schedule. 

As David says, there's no guarantee it will all play out the way you have outlined. In fact, I would guess that it's unlikely that it will. But the fact that you have clearly developed a plan and a timeline for what you want to be able to do and when makes it all tangible. It turns a dream into a goal. 

I also love how David emphasizes that you don't have to be entirely clear about the "how." You may not know all the exercises that you'll need, how many practice sessions it will take, or whether or not three to five years is a realistic timeline for you. Much of that, however, will emerge as you continue to work and study. This plan at least provides yourself a framework to explore and give you some next steps to implement. 

As we get started this semester, share a couple of goals you have for your vocal development. That could be related to specific vocal skills, expressive capabilities, or even just consistently sticking to a practice regimen. 

I'm excited to be back and looking forward to all the work we'll take on together. 

Now go practice.