Map out the way to your goals
If you are like me, setting goals and targets is a great way to achieve musical progress. To help with this, in December, I purchased a Christmas present for me: a planner.
It might seem boring, but it's exactly what I need to get organised. I prefer paper and pen, so I can get in touch with the page and my thoughts more easily. Some prefer to use apps, and that is OK, too.
One thing I like about planners is that many have motivational statements on different pages. They remind me to keep going. Another is how their design makes it intuitive, easy and efficient to organise your thoughts.
Mine has a To-Do page for the month, which is great for listing the title of my monthly targets (e.g. MOT the car. Songs to learn for X gig). Then, there is a month at a view page, which helps me to allocate the tasks of my targets in the month (e.g. the day I will call the mechanic, the day I will practise a particular song). A month at a view also helps me to be more aware of how cluttered my life might get if I take on too much without planning time to prepare, do, and reflect on what I have done.
There are a couple of notes pages, good for jotting down reminders or thoughts (e.g. reply to a miss call from X person, take something out of the freezer). Finally, there are three days to a page diary. I will use these for listing the outcome I want to achieve that day for a particular target (e.g. call the garage to book my MOT; call the client about their sound set up and get the name of the person in charge; learn verse 1; purchase backing track, etc).
So, if you haven’t tried it before, why not purchase or set up a 12-month planner for your music and life targets in 2026? January is a great month to start!
P.S. I’ll be opening the doors to Time For My Music soon. This year we’re covering how to start stepping out with your music, ways to let people know about you, livestreaming tips, legal tips and more. To be ready for signups, consider joining the Success Beyond The Score mailing list.