5 Reasons Musicians (and a lot of other people) Don't Finish Projects
In the words of Charles Bukowski, "very few composers know how to END their symphonies..."
Being a musician has taught me a lot about myself, but one of the biggest lessons I learned was that I had a chronic problem of not finishing what I started. I think the same thing can be said of the average person. Bukowski could have just as easily said that very few PEOPLE know how to end their projects.
Well, here's a list of the biggest reasons why musicians and people from all walks of life struggle to finish a project, along with some killer strategies to GET IT DONE!
1. Perfectionism
Perhaps the ultimate project killer, perfectionism is a sneaky little procrastination tool that convinces people that there's no point in starting a project anyway, since it won't ever be good enough.
But in the words of another writer, Elizabeth Gilbert, "Done is better than good". I whole heartedly agree!
Sometimes you just have to accept that your projects are not going to be perfect, but that's okay. What's not okay is showing up to a deadline and not having something ready to go.
2. Poor time management
Another common and equally as vicious project killer is a lack of good time management skills. A lot of musicians have the ambition, the heart, the talent to make great stuff, but they just haven't acquired the time-management skills necessary to conquer a big undertaking like an album!
The good news is that we're alive in a time where the app stores are filled with tools for us to keep better track of our time. I personally use Google Calendar, Google Sheets, and Google Keep to keep track of all the things I need to get done.
The more organized you can be, the easier it is to get your stuff done!
3. Poor Health
This one is particularly hard for us musicians since a lot of us tend to lean towards the night owl lifestyle. The facts are pretty clear, if you want to be at your best you have to treat your body and mind right.
I've found a huge increase in productivity by making sure I always get enough sleep, exercise, eat well, and meditate daily. If meditating isn't your thing, then I would suggest yoga, daily prayers, or even something like journaling to keep your mind fit. (Keeping your mind healthy is just as important as keeping your body healthy!)
If you want to get your projects done, you have to be sure to be in tip top shape. It's already hard enough to get things done, but it's especially hard if you're feeling tired, sad, or just not healthy in general.
4. A lack of support
I used to spend a lot of time creating music all by myself. I was so obsessed with keeping control that I couldn't allow myself to trust other people to help me. This backfired big time because I just ended up with a bunch of partially finished songs.
Sometimes you have to let go of control!
Nowadays if you look at the songwriting credits of the biggest artists a lot of them are filled with huge teams of writers. If Beyonce is okay with working with a team then why shouldn't you be?!
Sometimes in life you have to be okay with delegating tasks to other people. The more people you are willing to let help you, the better chance you have of getting your project done.
5. No deadlines
One of the worst things a musician can do when it comes to a project is to not set a strict deadline. Without deadlines, a project is almost guaranteed to fall short.
Sometimes it feels weird to set a deadline on something that you love to do, but even if you're just writing a song for fun, a deadline will help you get it done even quicker so you can move on to the next "fun" project!
Google Calendar is perfect for setting deadlines and scheduling reminders to help you keep on schedule.
I know it can be overwhelming to face big projects sometimes, but I hope this article inspired some of you to go out and prove the words of Bukowski wrong by getting some songs done! And if you're not a musician, I still hope for your sake that you are able to keep improving upon your project management skills. Good luck!
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