The Power of Daily Routines For Music Industry Professionals
Creating sustainable success in the music industry
The music industry pulsates with an undeniable energy. It's a world fueled by passion, creativity, and relentless pursuit of dreams. But amidst the excitement and long hours, it's easy to lose sight of one crucial element for sustainable success – a well-defined daily routine.
For music industry professionals – whether you’re an artist, tour manager, venue coordinator, marketing exec or booking agent – establishing a solid routine might seem counterintuitive. After all, the industry is renowned for not conforming to a typical 9-to-5 mentality and adapting to ever-changing schedules. Yet, a well-crafted routine can be your secret weapon, providing a sense of structure and focus, supporting your overall well-being which empowers you to navigate these challenges and achieve long-term success. Preferably without the burn-out, or worse.
But First: Challenges Faced by Music Industry Professionals
The music industry presents unique challenges that can derail even the most disciplined among us. In case you were wondering what those challenges are, a brief overview of some of them:
Unpredictable, Ever-Changing Schedules: Late nights, on-the-go meetings, and last-minute impromptu changes are common and also widely adopted. Maintaining consistency can feel impossible. Something you’ll hear a lot of music industry professionals say is some version of, ‘I don’t have time for that’. Let’s be real, we’ve all been there many times. (yep, guilty 🙋)
Information Overload: From emails to social media notifications, the constant barrage of information can be overwhelming and hinder focus. Important caveat: the pressure (internally and/or externally) to have to be in on every latest development, fad, who’s who, and who’s doing what makes you information-hungry. And with that comes the next point.
High Level of Competitiveness: There is a lot to keep track of to stay updated on the current state of affairs. And it changes so fast it’s often hard to keep up and stay on top of the latest trends. This is however the nature of the beast because if you’re not in the loop, you’re out. We all know that in this industry, there are always multiple people standing in line right behind you ready to take your spot.
Burnout Risk: The pressure to achieve results combined with long hours can lead to decreased productivity, negative feelings about the work you’re usually so passionate about, and mental, emotional and physical exhaustion.
And additionally: Other common challenges include substance use, impostor syndrome, poor work-life balance and financial precarity.
The Power of Structure: Daily Routines as Your Secret Weapon
Even though the idea of structure and routine can give you the ick (I know that’s what it used to mean for me), it’s not what you think it is. Creatives tend to be more prone to living and working in flow states and we cannot choose when inspiration hits. If it’s the middle of the night, that’s what you have to work with.
What I know to be true about daily routines and how I’ve come to incorporate them is that they don’t necessarily have to happen at the same time every single day or else. Routines do require consistency and discipline, but as with everything, once you know the rules of the game, you’re free to play however you like.
It’s more important for you to first establish what you’re doing it all for so you can stay motivated in sticking to them.
So let’s look at how incorporating a daily routine can help you overcome some of the challenges you face in the music industry and build a foundation for sustainable success in the music industry:
Benefit #1: Improved Focus, Concentration and Productivity
Feeling scattered and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks? A well-designed routine can be a gamechanger for your productivity.
Structured Time Management: By dedicating specific times for emails, phone calls, meetings, and focused work, you avoid multitasking and channel your energy into specific tasks. This structure promotes efficiency and minimizes distractions. Incorporate time blocking into your schedule and plan one or several daily focus blocks on your calendar at the start of your week. These blocks don’t need to be happening at the same time every day. But setting aside time for things like music production, batch creating content, reading emails or listening to demos helps you to get things done - often times faster, and with more ease.
Prioritization is key: Routines help you identify and prioritize your most important tasks. Knowing what needs your immediate attention allows you to tackle challenges head-on and avoid last-minute scrambles. Choose 1-3 priorities every day or whenever you decide to sit down and do your work. Write them down and then get those out of the way first so they no longer take up precious brain space. Having to keep thinking about the things that still need to get done, is just managing your cognitive energy poorly. You want to work smarter, not harder. Getting your priorities straight is just more efficient.
Reduced Decision Fatigue: The constant barrage of decisions throughout the day drains your mental resources. Routines establish a framework, minimizing decision fatigue and allowing you to focus on the creative and strategic aspects of your role.
Benefit #2: Building Mental Resilience and Boundaries
The music industry can be a demanding field, constantly pushing your emotional and mental bandwidth. Routines create a sense of control and empower you to set healthy boundaries.
Safeguarding Your Work-Life Balance: Defining specific working hours and sticking to them promotes a healthy work-life balance. This is crucial for preventing burnout and maintaining your mental and physical well-being. And that comes down to boundaries.
Setting Boundaries with Confidence: Knowing your schedule and priorities empowers you to confidently set boundaries with clients and colleagues. This avoids feeling overwhelmed and allows you to focus on tasks that truly matter. Reminder: boundaries are about YOUR behaviour, not that of someone else's. So when you set working hours, you set them for yourself. Communicating them to others is just a formality for clarity’s sake. But it’s up to you to stick to them. And that’ll mean learning to say no from time to time.
Mindfulness & Stress Management: Routines can incorporate activities that promote mindfulness and stress management, such as meditation, exercise, or healthy meal prep. These practices equip you to deal with challenges calmly and effectively. For people who are not that into cooking, meal prepping really does take away a lot of the daily stress that comes with having to figure out what to eat each day, do your grocery shopping and then rush home to put together a meal. Of course, if you’re someone who finds peace in cooking a nice meal each day, then let that be your go-to daily mindfulness practice.
Benefit #3: Fueling Creativity and Inspiration
Contrary to what some might think, routines don't stifle creativity. In fact, they can provide the foundation for consistent inspiration. Creativity needs peace, calm and stability to be able to flow freely. So you’ll want to have certain routines in place which will allow for that.
Clear Headspace for Creativity: By minimizing distractions and scheduling dedicated creative time, you create the space for fresh ideas to flourish. This could involve brainstorming sessions, music listening sessions, or setting time aside for reading industry publications. It also means knowing when to walk away and go do something else entirely. Especially when you’re faced with a creative block.
Consistent Progress Fuels Innovation: Routines ensure you make steady progress on projects. This forward momentum can spark new ideas and solutions as you delve deeper into your work. It’s all about the daily 3mm shifts which over time compound to big results. Compound success is part of building longevity and sustainable success in the music industry.
Improved Learning and Skill Development: Dedicating time for learning in your routine, whether it's reading industry blogs, attending workshops, or networking events, keeps you informed and sharpens your skillset. This fosters innovation and keeps you at the forefront of the ever-evolving music industry.
“It’s all about finding the smallest intervention that can have the biggest impact. ”
Crafting Your Success: Building Your Daily Routine
Ready to harness the power of routines for your own music industry success? Here are some tips to get you started in summary of everything we’ve discussed in this article.
Identify Your Values and Priorities: What are your long-term career goals? What key tasks contribute to achieving them? And what are you doing it all for? What is your why? Defining your priorities and the values they are meant to support helps you structure your routine around what truly matters.
Schedule Like a Pro: Block out time for specific tasks, including emails, meetings, focus, and creative work. Be realistic about how much you can accomplish in a set timeframe. And don’t worry if you’re unable to complete a task within your preset time frame. That’s what the next tip is for…
Leave Room for Flexibility: The music industry thrives on flexibility. Schedule buffer time to accommodate unexpected tasks or last-minute changes. Therapists also keep time slots open for when a client has an emergency and that helps them to accommodate that.
Listen to Your Body: Schedule breaks throughout the day to maintain energy levels and prevent burnout. Consider short meditation breaks to ground yourself so that you can regain your focus and be productive.
FREE MEDITATION
Meditation is a great tool to help reduce stress and anxiety. Give it a go today with my free guided grounding meditation.
By establishing a daily routine, you create a platform for continuous growth and achievement. Embrace the power of structure, while remaining flexible to adapt to the ever-evolving music landscape. Remember, a consistent routine is your key to unlocking sustainable success in the exciting, yet demanding, world of music.
What is the one thing you love about a daily routine? Comment below!
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