In your personal pursuit of singing success you will likely encounter a number of distractions and disappointments. That’s to be expected – so do not panic! But there may be cause for concern. You see, the real challenge comes with staying focused and bouncing back if you stumble, or with getting back on track when your attention or purpose strays.
Burnout + The Deep Freeze
It’s important to bear in mind that along the journey to your success things don’t always work out as planned, especially when it comes to timing. You also may often run the risk of burning out because you feel like you keep hitting the same wall over and over. You may start to shut down because you feel like a failure.
You will have to endure plateaus where you sense that you’re stagnating. Maybe you’re trying to achieve coordination that for some reason isn’t coming as quickly or as succinctly as you’d like. You’ll even face times where you feel like decisions that are being made by others around you are not going your way and may in fact be holding you back.
When you hit a rough patch of some kind, you want to find a way work through it. But you want to avoid burning out by doing the same thing over and over. You want to avoid pushing harder when your nerves are already frazzled, your system is stressed, and your health is suffering or compromised in some way.
Stop For A Change
Stop and evaluate what is going on. Sit down and note the key things that are bugging you and bringing you down. Look at goals you’ve set for yourself, and reevaluate them just to make sure they’re realistic and are being pursued with a reasonable set of expectations in terms of degrees of growth and time.
Take a look at the people that support you, from friends to vocal coaches. You might simply need a fresh perspective. Think of how it is when you go to your doctor. There is a tendency for a doctor that knows you well to make assumptions about what may be wrong. In part, this is because they know you and are your familiar with your medical history. But they may also be missing something critical because they are filtering your symptoms through their familiarity. The fresh perspective of a new coach can do wonders to open your eyes, throat, senses, and even music appreciation.
Refresh Muscle Memory
So, by checking out a new vocal coach or by becoming open to new friendships, you can spark a fresh perspective, find renewed enthusiasm, and might even be able to perfect the coordination that has proven so troublesome because of your limited mindset. You might be stuck because you’re so caught up in pushing a process that you haven’t been able to step back long enough or get far away enough from to see it with fresh eyes or feel it with a fresh approach to muscle memory.
Get Physical
It’s also important to look for ways to energize your system through engaging in some in physical activity that you enjoy. Or, you could get involved in something like yoga and guided imagery. This physical-mental-spiritual approach helps you to refresh, focus, and find energy.
A dance or movement class of some kind can help with rejuvenating your creative flow and sense of artistry. Movement can tie into your singing, giving you more confidence and helping to trigger ideas for songs to sing and music to explore.
You might engage in running or hiking. Maybe you need to socialize outside of your singing through a sport of some kind, just to let off steam and exercise your competitive nature outside of the studio or stage setting. Whatever activities you choose, make sure one is engaged on a daily basis for at least thirty minutes at a stretch. It can prove to be that critical energy boost you need to jump start your spirit!
Songs As Markers
Use favorite songs that serve to get you pumped in some way as markers when engaging these energizing activities. Sing the pieces internally, play them through a headset, or sing them aloud, if it helps. You want the singer in you to be nurtured and celebrated. Look for ways to make this happen by incorporating your favorite songs into these restorative, energy-boosting activities. The goal is to get pumped up not to be deflated.
Social Eyes
Another change to consider is your social circles. Do not neglect the need to get out and socialize. You need that for positive reinforcement, to freshen perspective, to solicit feedback, and to be encouraged, affirmed, and inspired. Make necessary changes if you discover there are friendships that have become negative or even toxic. Make attempts to salvage the ones you want to keep, but let go of those that hold you back or drag you down.
Find a haven or retreat for socialization. You need to choose one social hangout that for you is a special, personal safe place to refresh, refuel, or relax. It could be a venue you like to go to hear music. It could be a restaurant. It might be a park or a hiking trail. It could be a church or place of worship. It needs to be some place that you can go to simply to recharge your battery.
And, once again, use your favorite songs as markers to reinforce the positive connection you have to this place of renewal and revival.
Stop The Static Cling
So, whenever you feel stuck, stumbling downward, or spiraling deeper into the depths of the dark, dull, and dim, take time to look at your situation, identify negative behaviors, disappointments, and things that just don’t feel right or aren’t working as effectively anymore. Then, consider changes you need to make and develop plans to set into motion for following through as you pursue your singing success.
Make a contract with yourself to do a self-check at least once a month to head off any potential negative behaviors, practices, relationships, and other lifestyle issues than can seriously stunt the growth of your unique vocal gift.
Freshen Up With The Forums
Use these forums at SingingSuccess.tv and the informative video clips to spark fresh ideas and perspectives that will keep you positive and boost your sense of well-being. One of the real perks of SingingSuccess.tv is the number of rich resources that connect you to others that share your passion for singing and your desire to get better.
Invest in at least one product every few months to keep yourself growing and going in a positive direction that will lead to your greatest potential for achieving true singing success.