Sometimes, we need to kick ourselves to reach the next level. What about setting yourself a challenge?
What is a (good) challenge?
You probably already know that, but to be sure we are talking about the same thing, let's define it.
A challenge is a specific goal with a series of deadlines during a period of time.
Often, the duration is 7, 15, 30, or 60 days.
It shouldn’t be too short, in two days you won’t make much progress. But it shouldn’t be too long as well. One year would be too long to stay focused on and too distant to keep you motivated.
During this period of time, you will set short, very short deadlines. The optimal is to set daily deadlines, so you work on your goal every single day.
Thus, you will have a regular focused action on your goal and improve much faster.
What are the benefits of starting a challenge?
Having set yourself a challenge will have many benefits for helping you grow as a musician.
Get momentum
Since you will work every single day on your goal, you will build momentum. You will get used to working on it and it will become a routine.
Routines are one of the most powerful ways to grow your skills. Not only in music by the way.
Even after your challenge, you will certainly keep going and be more consistent than ever.
I would bet that you will like it and take another challenge!
Get out of your comfort zone
One of the best benefits is that a challenge will lead you to get out of your comfort zone.
Let’s take for example this song with difficult parts that you dream to be able to play. You keep postponing the day where you will really work on it. Because you know that you don’t have yet the technical level to play it.
By setting a challenge, you will force yourself to work on it and overcome your mental resistance. You won’t think any more about what stops you to get started. No more excuses, you have to do it. Every day.
Let me share with you a personal example.
Last August, I decided to write 1 blog post, record 1 podcast episode, and publish 1 YouTube video every day. Quite intense, right?
This was way out of my comfort zone. At that time of this post, I wasn't used to doing videos or podcasts. I was thinking about starting both, but it was more a distant goal than anything concrete. Taking on this challenge pushed me to do it.
Without it, I would still be waiting to be “perfect” in front of a camera to dare to publish anything on YouTube. But how would I make any progress if I don’t do it?
Achieve more
A direct benefit to start a challenge is that you achieve more in the end.
For example, if you set yourself a challenge of learning or creating a new song in 30 days, you will have a new song in your repertoire.
Imagine now that you do that for a whole year. You will end up with 12 new songs to your repertoire, cool right?
Take action to realize your dream
Finally, it is obvious but doing a challenge will push you to take action and start achieving your dreams.
Pretty cool, right?
So, what challenges will you do this year?
Mine?
The first of this year will be to participate in the RPM Challenge in February.
My goal is to make my first album. Yes, in 28 days, from scratch. š±
I don't know how I will do it honestly.
The result will probably be mostly crap, but I expect that I will come up with a few interesting stuff. This is often the case when you push yourself in rather extreme situations.
At least, it will give me the momentum I seek to create more music and "finish" songs instead of having tens of drafts or half-baked songs. I will also get closer to my dream of making my own (good quality) album.
And I will certainly do a few more challenges during the year!
What about you?
Submitted January 20, 2021 at 09:17PM by FrankElda https://www.reddit.com/r/Learnmusic/comments/l1mg0f/want_to_become_a_better_musician_set_yourself_a/?utm_source=ifttt