Music Making, Procrastination & Motivation
For me, motivation comes in waves. One good idea can make you feel great and lead to a flood of other ideas—sometimes too many to handle. Other times, I find myself stuck in an ocean of procrastination. Strangely, I often feel both motivated and lazy at the same time.
I ask myself: “Why do I feel so physically tired when I’m full of creative energy?”
Maybe it’s not a lack of energy, but rather a split—energy turning into both positives and negatives, canceling each other out like phase cancellation. When great ideas come, they’re often accompanied by equally strong fear or doubt.
We get a rush from a big idea. What excites us is imagining what it will look like when completed. But we forget about the work involved—planning, learning new skills, and applying them. We don’t think about the actual process of doing the work.
Another motivation killer is the pursuit of perfection. We hesitate to start because we want a clear path to perfection. But perfection is your enemy. There’s no perfect idea that didn’t start as an imperfect one. You need to find a way to enjoy the process of uncertainty.
Imagine a car in neutral. You can push it and build momentum, but unless you’re on a downhill slope, it won’t get any easier to move. Sometimes, we get lucky and coast downhill for a while. But if we slow down, we’ll eventually stop and have to start pushing again.
Accomplishments motivate us. But when we face work we aren’t prepared for, that energy and confidence can drain quickly. We don’t like obstacles we haven’t already overcome. This is where motivation and procrastination meet.
I prefer a clean, uncluttered workspace with minimal setup time. I like being warm, and I lose focus when I’m cold. Unfortunately, my work often requires me to constantly switch gears, change sound cards, sync computers, and deal with endless cables.
The truth is, we’ll never have the perfect situation. We won’t always feel like “artists” when we create. That boost of motivation isn’t always going to rescue us.
The reality of working under less-than-ideal conditions can hold me back from pursuing many good ideas. I know I’m just one computer glitch away from wasting an entire day.
This is how a positive idea can spiral into frustration and procrastination.
How to Stay Productive:
- Do what you love – Make sure what you’re working on is still something you enjoy.
- Live an inspiring life – New experiences fuel creativity. Without them, ideas will dry up.
- Focus on one thing at a time – Jot down new ideas as they come, but finish what you start. Too many unfinished projects create clutter—in your head and on your hard drive.
- Tame anxiety – Find ways to ease creative anxiety, like exercise, laughter, meditation, or a good conversation.
- The 5-Minute Rule – Open an unfinished project for just 5 minutes. Don’t force anything. In those 5 minutes, focus only on that song. No email, no social media, no distractions. Just 5 minutes of undisturbed time. Eventually after a few days or even a week or more, you’ll feel compelled to do something with it, and progress will follow.
Motivation decreases if I don’t stick to a schedule. If I miss my morning walk or wake up late, I feel like it’s a “day off.” When I lose my routine, creating doesn’t “feel right,” and it’s a convincing excuse not to work.
Having too much on your plate can also kill motivation. Even when inspiration strikes, it’s hard to choose what to work on. This can trap you in indecision.
A great way to break this cycle is to just start something. No preparation. Dive in cold turkey. It won’t immediately fix your habits, but it will force you to move, even when you’re unprepared.
I wasn’t prepared for this blog. I didn’t know if I was writing a journal to myself or something useful for others. But I got off my butt and started writing. Often, the best preparation is simply starting. You’ll feel off-balance at first, but you’ll soon find your rhythm, and the ideas will flow.
Accomplishment vs. Reward:
How do you reward yourself for a job well done? If your goal is health, do you reward yourself with something unhealthy? If your goal is building a new habit, do you reward yourself with a day off that undermines it?
I’m beginning to think this is one key to losing motivation.
When you get pumped up and start accomplishing more, you might feel like the energy and motivation will never fade. So, you reward yourself with a break. But if the reward brings more satisfaction than the accomplishment, you’re setting yourself up for trouble.
Soon, your body will crave rewards before you’ve even accomplished anything. You stop getting your energy from accomplishments and start seeking quick fixes instead.
This is why a well-balanced work schedule is so important. Set yourself up with work you enjoy, healthy challenges, and rejuvenating breaks. Most rewards should take some effort. Don’t always take the easy way out.
For example, I eat out a lot, which takes me away from my work. It’s not challenging, and it leaves me lazy for the rest of the day. I could make myself a light salad and sandwich at home, stay close to my workspace, and keep my productivity going.
Eating heavy meals drains your energy and leaves you craving rest or distractions like TV. Instead, I could read during my breaks—something that refreshes my mind without pulling me away from productivity.
Of course, this isn’t something you can practice 100% of the time. But being aware of these choices will help keep you focused and productive. If you stick to a schedule, you can do what you like on your days off without guilt.
Everyone needs to break their own rules sometimes, but do it on a schedule. If you break your schedule too often, your habits will start to fall apart.
If you are benefiting from these posts, you will absolutely love my 2 bestselling books:
The Mental Game of Music Production
The Process for Electronic Music Producers
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Happy music making!
Jason