065 – How to Streamline Your Life to Support Your Career as a Musician or Music Entrepreneur

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Do you find yourself trying to do too many things? Do you easily lose track of time and find yourself unable to manage your to-do list?

In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I discuss how you can simplify your routine to get more of the right things done.

Table of Contents

Podcast Highlights:

00:14 – We tend to make life more complicated than it needs to be
00:42 – Tips on how to get some time back to focus on your creativity
00:48 – #1: Eliminate unnecessary clutter
01:38 – #2: Be willing to make sacrifices
02:24 – #3: Map out your ideal schedule
03:11 – #4: Transition from a day job to freelance work
03:42 – #5: Become a student of productivity

Transcription:

Thanks for joining me. Today, I want to talk about how to streamline your life. Look, we tend to make life far too complicated sometimes and we get ourselves into a mess. The less you have to do, the easier it is to focus on the things you need to do.

The less you must do, the easier it is to focus on the things you need to do. Click To Tweet

But so often we spread ourselves too thin with a ton of projects, a massive to-do list, and social obligations. I’ve had the privilege and honor of helping a few people find a better balance between their work and creative life. So, here are a few tips on how to gain some time back to work on your music career or business.

#1: Eliminate Unnecessary Clutter

Now, you might have garbage or stacks of paper or Knick Knacks just sitting around and they need to be sold or thrown out or done away with, but clutter isn’t always just physical. It can also be emotional and mental.

We carry a lot of thoughts with us, and sometimes other people occupy our minds and we tend to dedicate too much energy and time to thinking about them and not enough time to think about ourselves and our own life.

So, if you have any half-finished projects, decide what you’re going to do with them. If you’re getting two hundred texts per day from your friends, decide whether that interaction is worthy of your time. If you have a friendship or relationship in your life that’s not serving you, then decide whether that’s something that you want to keep in your life long term. You’ll feel a huge sense of relief when you clear the clutter in your life. And, your brain will start to clear too.

You'll feel a huge sense of relief when you clear the clutter in your life. Click To Tweet

#2: Be Willing to Make Sacrifices

I remember my business mentors used to say, “If you’re willing to do it, you may not have to.” Over the years, I haven’t had any aversion to giving up things like TV, video games, and sometimes even sleep if it meant that it would help me move closer towards my goals.

Now, I don’t think we need to be extreme when it comes to making sacrifices. But, if your bills are too high then you may need to sell your house or your car and downgrade. Although exercise is good, maybe spending twenty hours at the gym every single week isn’t what you need right now to help you simplify your life. If you’re working nine to five and then come home and watch Netflix for the rest of the night, you may want to cancel your Netflix subscription, even temporarily, so you can focus on the creative work that you know you should be doing.

#3: Map Out Your Schedule

I think it’s idealistic to think that we could have a perfect week every single week, but we can at least map it out, set it in front of us, reference it often, and take actions that help us move in that direction.

I would suggest opening a spreadsheet and mapping everything out hour by hour exactly what it is that you’re going to be doing, and what you need to do to advance your career, be healthy, live a great life.

Life gets a lot simpler when you have a routine you live by, because you don’t have to think about it anymore.

Think of Steve Jobs. He always wore the same outfit. That’s so he didn’t have to dedicate unnecessary time and mental resources to thinking about what he was going to wear that day. When you have a routine, you don’t have to think about what you’re going to do that day. You’re just going to go and do it.

#4: Transition from a Day Job to Freelance Work

This may not apply to everybody listening today, but a day job is often low paying, unfulfilling, and life sucking. These days, if you’re skilled at what you do, you can get paid a lot more in a lot less time doing freelance work. Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could make more money and get some time back to focus on your creative work? I think it’s important to make a living, but should the best hours of your day be dedicated to it every single day? Personally, I like the freedom of freelance and entrepreneurial work.

#5: Become a Student of Productivity

There are a ton of articles, podcast episodes, and videos out there talking about how to be more effective and productive in your life. Dig into these and learn from them. Apply what you learn. It’s not just about getting more done. It’s about getting the right things done in your life.

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David Andrew Wiebe

Founder & CEO at Music Entrepreneur HQ

Award-winning composer, best-selling author, professional musician coach, and podcaster of over 10 years. Wiebe helps musicians like you unlock your full potential. If you'd like to be notified whenever the blog is updated, click here to subscribe.

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