90 Day Challenge To A Better You

OK.  I heard about a 90 day challenge where you post your blog comments or a YouTube video blog everyday for the next 90 days, from September 1st to December 1st.  These posts are documenting your commitment  to improve your life in some way.  I am going to take the challenge and go full force with it.  The post can be about anything that documents areas of your life you would like to change and improve.  I can’t say that I stuck to blogging over the past months and half, due to analysis paralysis ( I was trying to figure out how my blog actually worked instead of just doing it) but I am committed to doing it now.

My focus of, course is on singing, health, and family and spiritual health.  I want to take you on the journey with me for the 90 days.  You can do it with me too.  My goal is to, each week, put up at least one video performance of some great songs I always wanted to learn and perform or those that I had written myself.  Singing makes me happy, it uplifts my spirits.  I just feel an overall sense of fulfillment when I sing and that happiness translates into every aspect of my life.  Some say that music resonates in your being and can actually change the cell make up in your body from rigid and sharp to rounded and harmonious ( I think it was in the movie “What the Bleep”).

I also still need to work on my weight loss.  So that I keep myself accountable, I am announcing to the world that I am committed to an exercise routine and cutting down on my food intake.  I also need to work on getting my baby to sleep through the night so that I can get enough proper rest to be my best in all areas of my life…which aint been happenin’ with my little 14 month old. 

So, let me know if you are down to go through this journey with me…what are your commitments?  I have an accountability partner  and  we state our specific commitments for every 30, 60, and 90 days.  Even if we don’t reach every commitment we just re-adjust, acknowledge each other for all that we have accomplished and keep going.  You would be amazed at how it really keeps you on track with your goals and gives you clarity in the direction you want to take in life.

I want to sing…I love to sing…so watch me sing like crazy over the next 90 days.

Putting your music artist or band website together

I was just thinking about how I first started this blog. I wanted to share some of the things I was learning on my journey back into the music world, that can asist other artists like me in getting thier music out there to be heard by the world. At first I was blogging like I was giving a class, but I want you to know that as I am learning you are following me on my journey.

So here are the steps I took to put my website together:

1. I looked at several other websites to find a few format that I liked. I actually liked the design of a couple of templates on template monster but wanted to include some features that I found on other artists websites that I thought were nice.

2. I decided on the color of the website that would fit the mood and the image I wanted the world to see as far as my artist site was concerned

3. I figured out the pages that should be in the site from what the other sites that I like and I looked at had…they were of course a Home Page, Music, Videos, Bio Tour Dates Contact Us

4. Some other links that I wanted on my site that I hadn’t really thought about were links to my social network pages on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. (Even though I am a singer/songwriter…I really have gotten into facebook more than myspace…it seems so much more personal and less spammish).

5. I wanted to make it really easy for my friends and fans to be able to access and buy their favorite music of mine so I definitely am putting a link or links to the individual songs that they can download on Tunecore.com or buy the whole CD off of CDBaby.com.

6. I wanted to also do the merchandising of some of my songs, so I am incorporating a cafepress.com store.

7. Start a blog or two.

8. Make sure you have a place where your fans can sign up to receive notices or become part of your VIP list so that they can be invited to your upcoming shows. You can do this with a ConstantContact.com newsletter.

Ok…I think that’s it. If I think of anything else, you’ll see it on my website. Got any suggestions?