6 Steps to Stay Motivated with Your Music

I’ve got to admit, I did get discouraged at one time with my life in the music industry, and I just couldn’t keep going. Mentally and emotionally drained, I left for years, ignoring that music was my passion and I was my authentic self only when I was performing or doing anything that surrounded music. I’ve learned how to stay motivated to keep on going, which seems to me to be easier, with internet, because I have a sense of having my life in music in my own hands. Here are some tips on How To Stay Motivated and Focused in Your Music Career.

1. What Are Your Goals. Are you a singer and just want to get out there and sing. Do you want to be a solo artist or a background singer and travel the world with a big named act. Things to think about right? Figure out what is truly important to you, in your heart, and write it down. Then stop at noghting to achieve them. For me this takes some “time blocking” and life balance because I want to spend quality time with my family too. Write down your goals and focus on getting them done.
2. Dream Big – I am now always of the mentality that if something good or miracle like should happen to somebody, why not me. It’s like the saying, you have to be in it to win it. Well, you have to dream big, the dream that you really hold in your heart, and believe that could even happen to you. Your dreams kind of go hand in hand with goal setting and putting those goals into action and not just words.
3. Daily Action – Some days I am able to accomplish a ton of things that move me closer towards my goals and my dreams and other days I can barely get a thing done, but If I do even the smallest, thing, like making a phone call to a new producer I’ve met and want to cut a track with, I feel like I am still moving closer to my goals. I recommend even stead strides forward…yo’ll hit that mile mark faster than you think.
4. Don’t pile too many projects on your plate at once- Now I am a culprit for this…and you know what…it leads to procrastination and I don’t get anything done. Choose one to three things (three things IF you are a good multi-tasker which a lot of my music mama’s are) that you want to focus on completing.
5. Focus on Priority Items – OK…stop checking your email every two seconds, and responding and uploading your new status on facebook. Set those things aside for a specific time in the day to do them and knowck it out all in that on or 2 hours. That way you can concentrate on the things that really bring you the results you are looking for with your music.
6. Don’t let the Nay-sayers knock the wind out of you – You can do it.. You just have to keep making good music, great songs, getting them up on your site so that the world can experience the passion and the music within you.

Hey…it may not be easy, but playing music, marketing your music to the world, performing your music to an audience, can be the most rewarding life you can live as a musician. Remind yourself everyday that you are bringing emotional joy to your fans, by filling there sould with your music. You can do it…just remember the steps above and keep it going.

Marketing Indie Music – Gotta Set a Schedule

Time blocking!!! The one thing that we can never get back in life is more time. After one hour, one minute, or one second passes, we can never go back to it. Does it feel like you never have enough time in the day to get things done…I mean things that are truly important to you?

Really take a look at all of the “things” you are placing on your plate daily. Are you checking email for hours at a time, replying back to people who have sent you email chain letter…”If you send this to 10 of your friends then…” Are you on the phone, talking small talk. You have got to prioritize what is truly productive for you during the day and then fit in those things that are not as important for you.

Here is one solution for you to be able to fit in the things you really want to accomplish in life. I’m not talking about all work and no play…you’ve got to schedule that in too. We want to focus on scheduling a balanced lifestyle.

Take a piece of lined writing paper and write at the top the days of the week from Monday to Sunday. Draw a line vertically in between each day. On the left side of the paper enter in the time from 6 am to at least 8 pm in half an hour increments…so you’ll see 6:00, 6:307:00, 7;30 etc. Then for each day write in schedule what you would like to accomplish for the week and block out the time that you think it will take to do it. Include working out, drive times, time doing your dream, a little time for responding to those important emails, phone call return times, family time, cleaning time etc. Focus on the things that really matter and try to stick to your schedule. If something doesn’t get done one day, don’t kick yourself, just add it to another day and see where you can fit it in.

After a week, look at all that you have accomplished…things that you thought you couldn’t get to, but you did. You’ll feel sense of satisfaction, and relief that you don’t have certain things on your schedule still not done. This “time blocking” method really works if you have a hard time with procrastination. It will also help you get in a little or a lot of time on working on your dream or setting aside some “me” time to replenish to start the next week all over again. Don’t forget to pencil in the “me’ time….which makes for happier “we” times with your family and friends.