What’s My Motivation Here?

What’s My Motivation Here?

Need a little mid-semester motivation?

Somehow the start of school in the fall and the start of the New Year in January are times when people are easily motivated. People start new things or continue activities with renewed vigor. Then somewhere mid-way through the motivation starts to waiver. Well, guess what? We’re mid-semester! So, here’s your pep talk and some tips on how to stay motivated in your musical studies.

1. Take a walk down memory lane

Spend a few minutes thinking about why you started music lessons in the first place. Write down what your original goals were. How is your progress? Did you meet any of those already? Celebrate and regroup!

2. What drives you?

Is the reason you were driven to start music lessons still driving you? Do you have a new focus for your lessons? Set new goals or adjust old ones that can focus your practice and be evaluated in the next few months. And remember to be sure your goals are realistic and measurable. For example, a good goal might be to learn and master four new scales this semester. An example of an unattainable goal, that may just de-motivate you more, might be to master and memorize Chopin’s Nocturne in c minor if you are still on level 3B of your method series. You get the idea! Also, consult your teacher if you need help with goal setting.

3. Get a buddy

Find an accountability partner – someone with whom you can talk about your practice sessions. You can report things like how much you practiced this week, what your struggles were, and what successes you had (that scale fingering you finally conquered!). If you know someone (besides your teacher or your parent) is going to check in and ask you how your practice is going, you are more likely to do it so you have something to report.

4. No more excuses

As other activities and life have crept in since the beginning of the semester, there may now seem to be too many things competing for your time. So, re-evaluate your schedule and make time for practice. Maybe the days and time you originally slated for practicing don’t work as well as they did when you started. Change it! Find a new time that works better, but don’t give up!

5. Start small

Make one small change to how you practice, what you practice, when you practice, etc. Maybe just changing up one thing will be enough to reignite your passion, and get the ball rolling again.

Hope these tips are helpful. But whatever you do, don’t let a little mid-semester slump claim your musical endeavors altogether. Keep at it. Change it up and re-evaluate how you do it to stay interested, but don’t give up!