SERIOUS about music? A surprising number of musicians spend years going round in circles without even realising it.
They know where they want to get to – maybe writing better songs, becoming a stronger performer, or simply making music that truly connects.
Some even have a pretty clear idea of where they currently stand. But then something strange happens: they put their head down and start thrashing around without ever stopping to look up and get their bearings.
It’s a bit like trying to cross country while walking through thick fog. You are moving forward and you know you are going somewhere but, you might just be going around in circles…You’re practising scales, recording demos, buying new gear, studying video clips, learning software – all the sort of things your colleagues are doing, yet months down the trail you might start wondering are you actually advancing with all this? If this sounds familiar, you’re certainly not alone.
There are all sorts of clever tools and systems available these days to help musicians stay organised.
Apps can track practice time, planners can schedule goals, recording software can analyse progress, and social media gives endless ways to measure activity. If you enjoy technology, these things can be genuinely helpful.
But there’s one simple strategy that works for almost everyone. Map out a series of goals that lead toward your long-term vision. Then focus on each goal one at a time and regularly check whether you are actually moving closer to it.
That sounds obvious, but this is exactly where most people go wrong. Thinking, “I’m heading in the right direction,” is not enough. That can easily become another version of keeping your head down and never looking up.
Meanwhile, little by little, you drift off course – and before long you’re travelling in circles again. A powerful habit is to stop every couple of weeks and ask yourself one simple question: “Am I genuinely moving closer to my goal?”
Not busier. Not more distracted. Not just more comfortable, but closer.
One of the best ways to stay on track is to find a mentor. Ideally, this is someone who understands your area of music -perhaps somebody who plays your instrument or writes songs if songwriting is your focus. They don’t need to control your creativity. Their role is to help you keep your direction clear.
If your goal is simply to enjoy music for fun, then none of this really matters. But if you have serious musical ambitions – if you truly want to go somewhere with your music then guidance becomes incredibly valuable.
Find one good mentor and stay with them for at least six months to a year. Meet regularly, even if it’s only once a month. Share what you’re working on. Then go away and do the work between sessions. Most progress in music comes not from thrashing around harder, but from staying pointed in the right direction long enough to actually arrive.