It’s the last Friday of 2011 – cheers to a fantastic year! And as it turns to New Year’s Eve, it’s the perfect time to reflect back on this year’s successes, accomplishments, and yes, your failures. You say you’re too busy? We know the feeling – but reviewing what went well and what didn’t will help you to learn from your mistakes and determine the best ways to fix things going forward.
So take a step back, grab your laptop or a pen and paper, and cue up your memory. We recommend this exercise from Ariel Publicity to reflect on your year:
Questions to consider:
- What was your proudest musical moment this past year?
- Did something wonderful or unexpected happen to you?
- Did you set out to achieve something with your career/hobby but perhaps you missed your mark?
- How did you and are you managing the stress in your life?
Next, use your answers to complete the following four steps…
STEP 1: 10 Things I’m happy/proud of that I achieved within the last 12 months that are music related are:
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STEP 2: The things that slowed me down or stopped me were:
Write whatever you want to clear it out of your head, and also write what you learned from these things.
It’s time to forgive yourself so that you can start with a clean slate for the new year.
STEP 3: Now write down 10 things (or more) that you are grateful for. It can be as small as coffee in the mornings or as big as your child, spouse or parents. When you come from a place of gratitude, your creativity will flow in a much more productive way.
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STEP 4: Print out, decorate and post steps 1-3 where you can see them. If you aren’t posting them, at least place them in the back of a diary or in a sealed envelope, and open the envelope when you begin to forget these achievements.
We hope this exercise will help you get a clearer picture of where you’re at and what you need to work on. Next step: Setting goals for 2012! Have a safe and happy New Years Day!
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You might also like…
- 5 Excuses for Not Practicing – And How to Overcome Them
- Your Guide to Setting SMART Music Goals
- Do You Have What it Takes to Be a Successful Musician?
Poetry and music share a long history. Long ago, the ancient Greeks used song to memorize Homer’s epic poems; and in slightly more recent times Walt Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself” expressed the blossoming of a new, distinctly American point of view. From the Middle Ages through the Renaissance, the Romantic period and the Victorian, poets have drawn on song as a muse and vice versa. In modern times, acclaimed songwriters ranging from Bob Dylan to Patti Smith draw on poetry as a source of inspiration for their art. In her memoir Just Kids, Smith recalls coming into her own as an artist and how the poetry and life of Arthur Rimbaud deeply affected her own journey.
