Have you lost your motivation?
I have lost mine at times, I think we all have, for various reasons.
“If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!” From Eat That Frog
We have all had that one piece of music we just can't get onto our stand. Or those parts that need arranging, that exercise we know we need to do. Maybe you need to update your contract and your bio, or maybe you're not motivated to play music at all.
You’re not alone.
You need to stop beating yourself up, It's not helping. It's important to remember motivation is manufactured and at times it needs maintenance and upgrades. It's not something we just get and have forever.
When motivation or hunger is lacking it's time to prepare a meal of Elephant and Frog. What I mean is develop a recipe to “eat” the yuckiest things first then and enjoy the rest of your meal in small bites.
Here's How:
A dash of Accountability: Talk to someone you respect about what you're doing. Let them know what your goal is, and that their encouragement is welcomed. Remember, this person is not there to just push, but to praise.
Adjust Your Weight Sauce: We all have baggage that's wrapped in lovely little ribbons of fear and anxiety. Sometimes it's not the actual baggage, it's how we are carrying it that eats at our motivation. Are you just tired? Is the goal too big? Be honest, why are you doing it? Are my fears and anxieties realistic? Answering these questions may not lighten the load but it may make it manageable.
A sprinkle of Get Uncomfortable: Do something out of your comfort zone. I found when I lose my motivation, doing something out of the ordinary helps get me back in gear. If you usually play Debussy, try to play Sting try something that will definitely make you uncomfortable. Being too comfortable can kill motivation.
A glaze of Just Do It: (thank you Nike sneaker Co.) Whatever it is you're not motivated to do, start it, but don't worry too much about the end just yet. Start With the Worse First, set 1-2 small short term goals. Then do it again and again until you have met your goal.
“Eating an elephant can only be done one way: one bite at a time.”
Follow these tips above to jump start your motivation, working on getting motivated can only lead to good things. So Eat the frog first thing and eating the elephant will be a piece of cake.
Your Happy Musician
“The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers.”
― Brian Tracy
What do you do to stay motivated?
_______________________________________________________________________
