This is how I make music every day without fail

If you want to be a consistent musician, I have tips from my first-hand experience.

Just to give you some context…

I’ve released over 100 songs in the past 12 years. My music has been on NBC. I make consistent income from my music.

But most importantly, I get to make music every day, without fail.

Here’s how I do it…

First, I Remember Consistency Is Key

Being a consistent musician is how I’ve released so much music.

It’s how I’ve gone from lo-fi bedroom recordings to pro-level songs that hundreds of creators have licensed. 

Consistency is how I’m able to make music every single day. 

And it’s how I now make a regular income from my music. 

Being consistent leads to a quantity of work. And with quantity comes quality. 

…It is all about average speed, not maximum speed. Daily failures are like red lights during a road trip. When you’re driving a car, you’ll come to a red light every now and then. But if you maintain a good average speed, you’ll always make it to your destination despite the stops and delays along the way.

JAMES CLEAR ON BEING CONSISTENT

I try to be good today so I can continue to grow my music career. 

And here’s how I stay consistent…

I Start Small

This idea of doing something small every day has changed my life. Taking baby steps forward is better than sprinting until you burn out.

So I commit to doing something for my music career every day, even if it’s just 20 minutes. It’s way more doable to think this way, and much less overwhelming.

I pick something so small that it’s impossible to not do it. Like, “Reply to that email from my co-writer” or “find one music supervisor to pitch to.”

Author Jon Acuff ran a little test with his readers, and he found that the people with smaller goals were 63% more successful.

“Go big might be a good slogan for a gym wall,” he writes. “But if you really want to win, go small.”

Go smaller than you think you need to. Find just one small thing for today.

If I’ve done my one thing for the day, I feel encouraged, knowing I’ve just moved my music career forward in a small way.

RELATED: How Can You Reach Your Music Goals When You’re Super Busy? Use the “Minimum Effective Dose”

I Think About Output, Not Outcome

If you want to be consistent as a musician, set goals related to what you can do rather than what you want to happen.

For example, instead of saying, “I want to get 1,000 streams on my song,” you can say, “I want to pitch this song to X number of playlisters.”

You control how many playlisters you pitch to, not how many streams your song gets.

Focus on your output, not a potential outcome. 

Output goals ensure you remain focused on being a consistent creator which increases the likelihood you become one.

JOSH SPECTOR ON BEING A CONSISTENT CREATOR

I Use a Calendar, Not a To-Do List

I used to use a to-do list for getting stuff done as a musician. But once I realized how powerful using a calendar is, I didn’t look back. 

After I’ve found a thing to do on any given day, I find a place for it on my calendar. Then it leaves my brain and I don’t have to address it until I see it come up on my schedule. 

A to-do list is stressful. A calendar is organized and efficient. 

Use a calendar. I swear you won’t regret it.

I Give Myself the Gift of Done

Acuff writes in his book Finish, you have to give yourself “the gift of done.” At some point, perfectionism starts to diminish your return on investment. 

Now, I don’t cut corners or settle for okay. But for those of us who struggle with needing things to be totally perfect, here’s a news flash…

Your definition of “perfect” will always move once you reach it. And if you’re nitpicking about little things that no one but you will know about, isn’t that a waste of time?

Knowing when your song is great and ready to release is a practice. You have to learn to listen to your intuition. 

And you’ll only learn that by making music more often. 

So focus on consistency as a musician, even if it’s in little bites. It’s better than going hard and burning out.

These things will help you make music every day. And you’ll be a happier and better musician because of it.

I Use The One-Thing-A-Day Worksheet

After I made this worksheet for myself, everything changed for the better. 

Now I know where I’m going and what I can do today to get there.

Download it for free here.

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Caleb J. Murphy is a songwriter/producer in Austin, Tx. He also runs Musician With A Day Job, a site that helps part-time musicians keep going.

This is how I make music every day without fail