Stay motivated and avoid burnout!


Useful article by Brent Vaartstra from LearnJazzStandards Blog: 4 things that can help you to stay motivated when you practice your instrument.


Become goal oriented


Setting goals and writing them down can be the difference between success and failure.

I have short term goals that will help me attain my long term goals. Perhaps your long term goals for practicing your instrument will take a year or several months, and your short term goals will be divided into weeks or monthly goals.

In addition to this, when I wake up in the morning I write down everything I need to accomplish that day. These are what I call micro goals.


Have accountability


It never hurts to have someone to push you in the right direction and hold you to the things you said you would do.

Having a mentor of sorts can help you stay focused on your musical goals and give you that extra push.


Don’t burn yourself out


The hard truth is over doing something you love can slowly make it a bit stale. Or it can start to make you frustrated.

I also like to give myself a rule: if I begin to get especially frustrated while I’m practicing I stop. Not to say that when the going gets tough you should give up, but to be conscious of when you are starting to develop an unhealthy relationship with your instrument. At the end of the day, music needs to be fun.


Stay engaged


I find that staying engaged in the music I’m studying will make all of the difference between whether I’m motivated to practice or not.

If you are constantly stimulated with musical creativity, you won’t need to go searching for motivation. Motivation will show up knocking at you door.


The full article

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