10 Questions Artists Should Ask Themselves at the Beginning of Their Careers (To Increase their Chances of Success)

Every young artist has their reasons for working hard at their music, yet so rarely do they ever define these reasons to themselves, bandmates, and their team. Some reflective thinking and sharing could lead to a great deal of clarity when running your business (well, band). I’ve seen success get in the way of an artist’s core values and goals too many times. Sure, goals are allowed to change and augment, as circumstances do, but too often do great goals get lost, and that bands fold on the brink of their success, and abandon everything they have worked so hard for. Thinking about these questions and sharing the answers with your team might be hard, but it could help bring you back to what’s important OR save you from wasting your time with the wrong team, and pursuing your career aimlessly in different directions that will never connect.

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The 9 Step New Year’s Resolution For Indie Musicians

We all commit to starting over once the New Year rolls around. It is entirely possible we ate too much, did not exercise enough or spent way too much money in 2012. Once the calendar year ends on the 31st of December though we have a clean slate, that fresh start and brighter future is known as 2013.

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4 Steps to Convert Goals into Results

It’s not about the goal, it’s about the work you do in its honor. Cut yourself some slack. It’s hard to determine exactly how long it will take to achieve something. The goals you create are your game. You can change the rules, as long as you are still in the game.

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A Musician’s Guide To Setting And Achieving Goals For 2012

The last half of 2011 was intense for a lot of us.  The financial news across the world remained bleak, Occupy Wall Street was all over the news as the 99% spoke up to be heard.

The music business continued to take hits with Spotify’s arrival and news of more layoffs at record labels, management companies as we all scratched our heads to blog about positive things and good outcomes

Many of you may have seen this article (or another one) on setting goals as they crop up at this time of year.

It’s a new year and a clear slate is in front of all of us. The turning of the calendar from 2011 to 2012 is an ideal time to set your goals. I see a marked difference between artists who set finite goals and those who do not regardless of what is happening in the world and in the news.

Ask yourself: Is this the year I want to make a difference for my music career?  And if so – what difference and how?

Think of goal setting as if you were driving in a foreign place – You wouldn’t get where you expect to go without a clear set of directions. Goal setting is like drawing a map for yourself.

This article is designed to assist you in creating a personal roadmap for achieving what you would like with your musical career this year, whether you consider music your hobby and you do it part time or you are making a living out of it full-time.

I have included a few links from some of the best musician related posts on how to think about and achieve goals as well.  So, bookmark this long article and refer to it throughout the year!

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The Importance of Creating Momentum

I wrote this for my blog. It’s about pursuing your dream in general. But, I thought I’d share it here because it applies to all of us. And who knows? This piece could keep someone who’ll make history in music going for one more day. I added a bit to the end to share how it applies to our music careers. Hope you’ll enjoy and be motivated to keep moving.

This may sound incredibly obvious (because it is), but it is one of those obvious truths that we don’t consider enough. Because considering it might actually motivate us. The key to creating momentum is to keep moving. The longer you keep moving without changing direction, the bigger the momentum. And, the bigger the momentum, the more unstoppable you are. I’m not going to be vague. I’m speaking about achieving your dreams, fulfilling the vision of your heart.

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