Create and Achieve your Vision, part 2: The Why

Last time, I talked about my thought process when I decided to move on from being a hobbyist and become an established musician. I explained how I started cementing my vision by writing down what I wanted to achieve, condensing my beautiful dreams into describable goals. I also invited you to do the same, so you had your own material to follow along this series.

Now that you have the what, the next question is why. What is the reason behind your wish to reach something? What is the purpose that your goals serve to yourself? If you don't understand why you are doing what you do, or you lose sight of it with time, your motivation will dwindle. You need energy to overcome the challenges and obstacles that you will inevitably find on your way, and this energy, this drive that you need, can be fuelled by your reasons.

Just as we wrote down our whats to solidify them, we need to document our whys. Going back to them now and then to remind ourselves of our purpose keeps us focused and pushing forward. Writing also helps us confront our motivations and admit to ourselves things that perhaps we wouldn't if we kept everything abstract in our minds. Let me give you an example: Think of someone who wrote "to win a songwriting award" as a goal, because they were told at some point that the best musicians are all songwriters. However, this person doesn't really like songwriting, favouring interpretation instead. When they try to write the why that explains the what of the songwriting award, they may realise that they're using an external definition of success in music that doesn't resonate with them, and change the goal accordingly.

Remember that this is about vision. Focus on what you see and ask yourself why do you want to see yourself there. The reasons don't have to be awe-inspiring or spectacular for anyone else, they just have to be convincing and good enough for you. My initial why was very simple and personal: I wanted to see if I could step on a stage the way my friend did. I just wanted to know if I was able to do it too. Similarly, straightforward reasons like, "I want to earn money" or, "I want to work alongside someone I love who is a musician" are perfectly valid.

With time, your motivations can change, or you can get new ones. In my case, witnessing and experiencing the unequal treatment of women in the music industry for a few years gave me a new motivation: to open space for female musicians and be in a position to help other women achieve their dreams in music. This new purpose has driven me to acquire music skills that are heavily male dominated, like saxophone repairing or music production, and also to create education and support projects like Cafemnee and Time For My Music.

One more advantage of documenting your whys, and of periodically reminding yourself of them, is that this will make your victories more visible and satisfying. You will find meaning in all the steps of the journey, instead of blindly chasing the destination until you exhaust yourself.

Right, then: go back to your list of whats and write the whys that support them. If you'd like to do it with a closer guidance or, in general, speak with me in depth about your plans in music, I recommend you join the mailing list, through which you'll be the first to know about individual coaching opportunities.

That's it for this week. See you the next one!