How to stop procrastinating as a musician
I see you, rearranging your vinyl collection in alphabetical order or checking what’s happening on social media instead of sitting down to finish your songs or working on the business side of your career. If there’s one thing most musicians struggle with, it’s procrastination. I feel you. I made sure I watered all my plants before starting to write this blog post. It was a matter of plant life or death, you see, and it had absolutely nothing to do with me finding writing a little challenging.
Procrastination isn’t just a bad habit though, but a symptom of something else that’s going on.
But don’t worry, it’s totally possible for you to alter that pattern and do what needs to be done to get your music career to where you want it to be.
Read on to find out why you procrastinate, and what to do instead.
But first, why is it important to change that pattern?
Procrastination can seriously hold you back from achieving what you most want in your music career. It makes you waste time. It makes you lose money from the potential income you’re not making from your music. You leak energy, from overthinking or worrying. And even though you’re temporarily avoiding the discomfort of doing the thing now, you’re still feeling anxious and guilty for NOT doing the thing, so in the end….it’s still uncomfortable. Sigh.
Procrastination keeps you away from what you really want to do (create), what you want to feel (accomplished), what you want to have (music released and shows booked) and who you want to be (someone who goes through with things).
The more you procrastinate, the more you reinforce the belief that you lack focus or discipline. With awareness of what’s really in the way, and doing the mindset work to shift that, you get to break the cycle, so you can spend more time honoring your inner artist, creating, growing your career, and being who you truly are at your core: a musician.
Why do we procrastinate?
Everything we do in life is either an attempt to avoid pain or gain pleasure.
The thing you’re procrastinating on may feel painful because:
You doubt yourself. You don’t feel ready, or you doubt you’ll get the results that you want (like hearing back from labels, or getting traction from social media content). Or maybe there’s a lack of clarity around which steps to take to achieve your goals. Where should you even start? All of that can feel so paralyzing.
The task feels hard or daunting, although once you get going it’s usually fine. Your mind can make it a lot worse by making it feel like there’s a huge mountain to climb, rather than focusing on the next baby step
The fear of failure keeps you stuck. What if I sit down to write and nothing good comes out of this session? Maybe you struggle with perfectionism and you judge yourself (or worry that others will) if the song is not ‘perfect’. This is so common, when self-imposed pressure takes over from the fun and pure joy of creating.
You feel conflicted. One part of you wants to send those emails or finish the song, another part wants to chill. There could be conflicting priorities, needs or desires that need to be reconciled.
You just don’t have the energy. You have a full time job and it’s hard to motivate yourself for your creative practice after a day’s work or in between other obligations.
Procrastination may give you some sense of pleasure by:
Protecting you from possible disappointment. A session that didn’t go as you hoped, being rejected by a manager you want to team up with… those things can be frustrating. The part of you that wants to keep you safe is doing its job, by preventing you from feeling discouraged.
Protecting you from possible judgment. If you don’t make the music you know you’re capable of making, you may beat yourself up and say things to yourself you’d never say to someone else. A part of you wants to protect you from your own inner critic - or from hypothetical judgment from others, if what you’re procrastinating on is sharing your music with the world.
Giving you instant gratification. Ticking off an easier task from your to-do list, getting a dopamine hit from social media, or doing something that provides an instant reward can feel much more appealing than doing something that may or may not give you rewards in the distant future.
Keeping you in your comfort zone, rather than feeling the discomfort of putting yourself out there or stretching yourself when you do something new or difficult.
Giving you an escape from overwhelm if your To Do list is longer than the queues at Studio 54.
How to move past procrastination
Dig deep into the root causes of your procrastination, so you can face, and overcome, the fears, blocks or inner conflicts that are in the way. If you worry about failing, ask yourself: what are the risks of doing it? And what are the risks of not doing it? Shifting your mindset and building your confidence will help you create sustainable change over time.
Remember why you’re doing this in the first place. Why does working on your music career matter? Why is it important that you finish that song, or promote it? What becomes possible when you do, that wasn’t possible before?
Aim for imperfect action rather than non-action. Give yourself permission to write the worst song ever and regain a sense of playfulness, or to do some awkward networking. Whatever happens, you’ll be further along if you do the thing, even if it’s not perfect: you’ll learn something along the way, and you’re reinforcing the belief that you are not a procrastinator, but someone who follows through. Your mantra: done is better than perfect.
✅ Grab this cheat sheet that will motivate you to take action and stop procrastinating ✅
When the task or goal feels daunting, break it down so it feels easier to manage. What’s the first tangible baby step you can take? Sometimes the hardest part is to start. Say to yourself, ‘I’m just going to give this 5 minutes of my focused time, no big deal’. Chances are, the momentum will keep you going.
Give yourself some positive reinforcement before, during, and after doing the thing. It could sound like: ‘I can do hard things. I am showing up for my music. I’m proud of myself for doing this thing, and that in itself is an accomplishment’. If you’re disappointed by the result of your music making session, imagine what a loving and compassionate friend would say, and repeat that to yourself. Celebrate each step taken so you can build a sense of self-trust, and reward yourself along the way.
Give yourself deadlines and create accountability. Most of the musicians I work with are bad at keeping their commitment to themselves, but excellent at keeping it towards others, because they don’t want to let them down. What accountability structure can you put into place?
Set yourself up for success. When do you feel most energized? See if you can create pockets of time for your creative practice during those periods. And before starting the task, visualize it already completed, having done a great job, and allow yourself to feel the feelings of satisfaction, relief or pride right in that moment.
When we coach together, you’ll shift the fears and resistance that are blocking your way, and get the clarity, support and accountability you need to create momentum and take your career to the next level.
It’s not just about being productive and getting shit done, but about you feeling accomplished and creatively fulfilled. And about using your precious time to focus on what you love most: making music, performing, and becoming the amazing artist you have the potential to be.
Check out my programs and book your free consultation now