Music Success In Nine Weeks (Chapt 1: Getting Mentally Prepared)
Yeah, I know… for anyone who’s worked around music or business at all, Music Success In Nine Weeks sounds a lot like one of those, Lose 50 lbs in 3 Days ads. But that’s the name of the book I’m reading and the blog/build-your-career challenge I’ve just signed up to participate in.
Though it sounds like a stretch, the title is actually right on. How can that be true? Because success is not a destination, it’s a journey – one that’s filled with potential adventure, or disaster, depending on how well you prepare before launching and your state of mind while trecking.
I’ve read the first couple chapters and am working through the exercises for Week One: Getting Mentally Prepared – invaluable stuff already. Here’s why: the nine-week course/workbook teaches you foundational principles for effective online business management, equips you with a working plan of action specific to who you are, and helps you be accountable to actually practice what you’re learning. In short, this tool will help you logically and strategically prepare and navigate your journey.
Part of the challenge involves posting blog entries about what I’m learning, so I’ll be doing that over the next nine weeks. I can hear your excitement. Please, please, the cheering is distracting. Seriously though, I believe strongly in transparency, well, I’m working on it, so I’ll begin with a confession: I am afraid.
Afraid? Of what? Great question, thanks for asking!
First of all, I’m afraid of admitting to you (and possibly even to myself) that I’m afraid. It sounds…well, wimpy – especially for a guy who has had so many years of quality life experiences and has overcome many obstacles. Regardless, even though the course will help me become more effective at what I enjoy most (communicating through the writing, recording and playing of music), I still quake at the thought of what it will take to accomplish some of this stuff. I must be more socially challenged than I realize.
It’s strange. I don’t usually feel fear at the thought of most things – the economy, the opinion of belligerent people who tear others down more than they build them up, flying/dying (not that those have to go together)…. But there are two things that come to mind specifically over which I sense considerable apprehension:
1) I fear that the music I create will somehow fail to communicate and impart to others the same degree of encouragement it has brought me over the years – as well as to many others (there was a long stretch where I made my living writing/recording and touring).
2) I also fear, and this even more than the first, what people might think of my thinking/processing out loud; thus, my hesitancy to jump into conversations on the social networks. Ever been there? (Based on certain posts I’ve read, I think some people should give serious consideration to actually embracing this particular fear!)
Oh…just thought of a few more things I fear:
I’m afraid I won’t be able to break through my natural tendency to withdraw. I enjoy people and intelligent, meaningful conversation, and in concert I have no trouble bantering with an audience. But entering live conversations online, and believing I have something to contribute, yikes…that’s a challenge. I suppose my greatest fear there is being misunderstood.
I fear that what I think and say (or how I say it) will somehow be dismissed as irrelevant or unimportant because so many others are so much more fluid in their thinking and communication. Yeah, I know. Practice.
I also fear that I’m too old to focus much on my writer/singer based musical interests again, even though for 13 years I made my living through writing/recording and touring – and that was before the plethora of technology that is now so readily available.
I fear that by opening that door again, I might somehow be perceived as thinking of myself as better than I really am, or more unrealistic than I really am (or like to admit), and that I might be disappointed again by hope differed or desire unfulfilled. That somehow I might just be once again chasing the evasive carrot dangling from the stick fastened ever so tightly to the back of that damn rabbit that you can never seem to catch no matter how hard you try! And I don’t even particularly like carrots.
Did I say damn? I don’t think so…Ohop, yes, I guess I did. Ok, it was intentional. Somehow that word just seems to best connect the dots of that ironic pursuit. Really though, do I also fear that certain readers might somehow think less of me for a word choice when there are so many others that could communicate the same thing even more effectively? Hmmm…are there more effective words? Can’t think of any at this moment…. Guess I’m not afraid of that one. (Truthfully, the rabbit isn’t the problem; the curse is in pursuing it – without a strategy!)
So, I’ve got a few fears. And yet…
On the flip side, throughout these past 10 or so years off the road I’ve developed other strengths. I’ve learned to write copy, handle business matters, organize and better administrate time and energy. I’ve continued to hone my writing and have been blessed to remain involved in music professionally, having made my living working in copyright management and as a worship/music director. Today, I’m employed as a worship pastor, but I’m also sensing it’s time to 1) begin focusing again on my songwriting/recording and especially, 2) to face my greatest fear by engaging socially with the unseen world. Funny, even saying that brings a rush of adrenalin. Weird. (Some of you just can’t relate, I know. Bless you anyway.)
All said though, I think that which I fear most is regret. Not over circumstances or events in which I have no control, but over opportunities I didn'’t take because I was afraid.
So where does this leave me today? Having been given this opportunity to face my fears, and having thought through this quite a bit, I’ve come to this resolve:
~ I love the idea of overcoming unhealthy fear in my life more than I fear the experience of having tried and failed.
Besides, this exercise is a no-lose situation. Every effort I make toward learning more about communicating in this day and age will help expand my potential for connecting with those who were meant to hear and receive my contribution in the first place. And while they would likely get along just fine without me, it’s hard to say whether I might be the one to bring that word of encouragement they need at just the right time. They’ll never know unless I try. And neither will I.
I’ve had far more failure than success, for sure. But I’ve also overcome enough stuff in my life to have some very meaningful moments to connect together – like threads woven into a beautiful tapestry or a well worn, flannel shirt – enough to know that fear can be overcome, and to know that working hard to achieve something that’s meaningful to you feels great. Really great.
So here we go. Facing Fear (not a bad name for a band, eh?). Knowing what to do is a great starting point, thank you Ariel and team. Knowing how to do it is golden, thank you even more. I’m committed to embracing both. My heart is racing.
Brett
Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Christ Tomlin on the way to church
www.brettbarry.com
www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic
www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic
Yeah, I know… for anyone who’s worked around music or business at all, Music Success In Nine Weeks sounds a lot like one of those, Lose 50 lbs in 3 Days ads. But that’s the name of the book I’m reading and the blog/build-your-career challenge I’ve just signed up to participate in.
Though it sounds like a stretch, the title is actually right on. How can that be true? Because success is not a destination, it’s a journey – one that’s filled with potential adventure, or disaster, depending on how well you prepare before launching and your state of mind while trecking.
I’ve read the first couple chapters and am working through the exercises for Week One: Getting Mentally Prepared – invaluable stuff already. Here’s why: the nine-week course/workbook teaches you foundational principles for effective online business management, equips you with a working plan of action specific to who you are, and helps you be accountable to actually practice what you’re learning. In short, this tool will help you logically and strategically prepare and navigate your journey.
Part of the challenge involves posting blog entries about what I’m learning, so I’ll be doing that over the next nine weeks. I can hear your excitement. Please, please, the cheering is distracting. Seriously though, I believe strongly in transparency, well, I’m working on it, so I’ll begin with a confession: I am afraid.
Afraid? Of what? Great question, thanks for asking!
First of all, I’m afraid of admitting to you (and possibly even to myself) that I’m afraid. It sounds…well, wimpy – especially for a guy who has had so many years of quality life experiences and has overcome many obstacles. Regardless, even though the course will help me become more effective at what I enjoy most (communicating through the writing, recording and playing of music), I still quake at the thought of what it will take to accomplish some of this stuff. I must be more socially challenged than I realize.
It’s strange. I don’t usually feel fear at the thought of most things – the economy, the opinion of belligerent people who tear others down more than they build them up, flying/dying (not that those have to go together)…. But there are two things that come to mind specifically over which I sense considerable apprehension:
1) I fear that the music I create will somehow fail to communicate and impart to others the same degree of encouragement it has brought me over the years – as well as to many others (there was a long stretch where I made my living writing/recording and touring).
2) I also fear, and this even more than the first, what people might think of my thinking/processing out loud; thus, my hesitancy to jump into conversations on the social networks. Ever been there? (Based on certain posts I’ve read, I think some people should give serious consideration to actually embracing this particular fear!)
Oh…just thought of a few more things I fear:
I’m afraid I won’t be able to break through my natural tendency to withdraw. I enjoy people and intelligent, meaningful conversation, and in concert I have no trouble bantering with an audience. But entering live conversations online, and believing I have something to contribute, yikes…that’s a challenge. I suppose my greatest fear there is being misunderstood.
I fear that what I think and say (or how I say it) will somehow be dismissed as irrelevant or unimportant because so many others are so much more fluid in their thinking and communication. Yeah, I know. Practice.
I also fear that I’m too old to focus much on my writer/singer based musical interests again, even though for 13 years I made my living through writing/recording and touring – and that was before the plethora of technology that is now so readily available.
I fear that by opening that door again, I might somehow be perceived as thinking of myself as better than I really am, or more unrealistic than I really am (or like to admit), and that I might be disappointed again by hope differed or desire unfulfilled. That somehow I might just be once again chasing the evasive carrot dangling from the stick fastened ever so tightly to the back of that damn rabbit that you can never seem to catch no matter how hard you try! And I don’t even particularly like carrots.
Did I say damn? I don’t think so…Ohop, yes, I guess I did. Ok, it was intentional. Somehow that word just seems to best connect the dots of that ironic pursuit. Really though, do I also fear that certain readers might somehow think less of me for a word choice when there are so many others that could communicate the same thing even more effectively? Hmmm…are there more effective words? Can’t think of any at this moment…. Guess I’m not afraid of that one. (Truthfully, the rabbit isn’t the problem; the curse is in pursuing it – without a strategy!)
So, I’ve got a few fears. And yet…
On the flip side, throughout these past 10 or so years off the road I’ve developed other strengths. I’ve learned to write copy, handle business matters, organize and better administrate time and energy. I’ve continued to hone my writing and have been blessed to remain involved in music professionally, having made my living working in copyright management and as a worship/music director. Today, I’m employed as a worship pastor, but I’m also sensing it’s time to 1) begin focusing again on my songwriting/recording and especially, 2) to face my greatest fear by engaging socially with the unseen world. Funny, even saying that brings a rush of adrenalin. Weird. (Some of you just can’t relate, I know. Bless you anyway.)
All said though, I think that which I fear most is regret. Not over circumstances or events in which I have no control, but over opportunities I didn'’t take because I was afraid.
So where does this leave me today? Having been given this opportunity to face my fears, and having thought through this quite a bit, I’ve come to this resolve:
~ I love the idea of overcoming unhealthy fear in my life more than I fear the experience of having tried and failed.
Besides, this exercise is a no-lose situation. Every effort I make toward learning more about communicating in this day and age will help expand my potential for connecting with those who were meant to hear and receive my contribution in the first place. And while they would likely get along just fine without me, it’s hard to say whether I might be the one to bring that word of encouragement they need at just the right time. They’ll never know unless I try. And neither will I.
I’ve had far more failure than success, for sure. But I’ve also overcome enough stuff in my life to have some very meaningful moments to connect together – like threads woven into a beautiful tapestry or a well worn, flannel shirt – enough to know that fear can be overcome, and to know that working hard to achieve something that’s meaningful to you feels great. Really great.
So here we go. Facing Fear (not a bad name for a band, eh?). Knowing what to do is a great starting point, thank you Ariel and team. Knowing how to do it is golden, thank you even more. I’m committed to embracing both. My heart is racing.
Brett
Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Christ Tomlin on the way to church
www.brettbarry.com
www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic
www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic