It’s human nature to want to assign blame to others.
And it’s all too common to hear musicians blaming their career slumps on the economy, the “old boys’ network,” or the lack of a manager, publicist, or a recording contract.
And while these may all be factors, the problem is that as long we attribute our career fate to others or to circumstances outside our control, we are powerless.
Truth is it’s your life: it’s what YOU make of it. Let’s keep 2014 blame-free.
Let’s quit blaming and instead take charge.
Questions to consider: what have you done lately to enhance your career? and your community?
It’s good to look at these two questions side by side because our careers all have contexts: we need audiences, students, customers, colleagues, and supporters.
Challenge for the week: Make a list of your career-building activities this week: the specific tasks you do to create new opportunities (so this might include networking meetings, booking contacts, working on self-promotion, etc.) The list should NOT include doing your already-booked gigs, or teaching, practicing.
Next, make another list of your community-building activities this week. This might include networking, attending community events or others’ concerts, etc. Then compare the two lists and identify possible opportunities.
Simply noticing what you do this week towards improving your career and your community may enhance your actions.
The Blame Game
