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Want to be a successful musician? Think big.

Every musician who has ever created a successful career has been a dreamer at some point in his/her life. S/he has come to terms with a need to be great, and has set out to achieve this goal, despite the risk of looking like a total idiot.

I don’t know why, but people love to believe that dynamic, interesting, crazy things can’t happen to them. They like to weigh the odds, to make pro/con lists, to say “eh..there is only a one-in-a-million chance things will work out for me.”

Something so “rational” as a statistic means absolutely nothing when it comes in contact with pure, unbridled passion and determination. If you actively seek out your dreams, rather than passively wait around for fate to sweep you off your feet, then luck is not even a question. You create your luck by surrounding yourself with positive, vibrant, unstoppable energy.

Sometimes a perspective change is all it takes…

I am sure, if your life is anything like mine, that your parents and teachers have been trying to push you onto the “right path” (in other words..the path they took) to your future as a doctor, lawyer, etc. I see so many people working desperately in college trying to achieve these goals that are backed with heartless motivation– they are trying to please their parents, not themselves. But why do so many parents continue to push their children onto this path despite the fact that many students end up hating it?

Because the average doctor, lawyer, “insert parent-friendly occupation here” makes more money than the average musician.

If you consider yourself average, then your career in music will not be rewarding or stable for you. But no one ever has to be average. It doesn’t matter what your “talent-level” is. The difference between an average person and a successful person has very little to do with talent and everything to do with drive and determination.

Don’t ever take someone’s advice if they haven’t tried to live your dream.

There’s something about letting people know you are a musician, it seems like it’s an invitation for everyone to give you their two cents worth on what you should do with your life: “don’t get your hopes up too much,” “focus on your schoolwork, that’s what’s really important,” and I am sure you have heard many more. Most people won't believe that you can make it as a musician, which isn't an insult to you-- they just don't know what it means to pursue a music career.

This is your life. Don’t let an average mindset control you, because you are not average, and you can’t afford to be.

My Advice:

Start exploring the lives of truly successful people, just anyone who interests you. And no, I don’t mean read celebrity gossip, I mean seek out biographies, interviews, on a successful person’s early life, see what characteristics they share, see how strong their desire is. If you are on the right path, you will probably see a lot of your personality traits in them. If you don’t, then learn from what they have to say. These are the people you need to model your life after, because they are the ones who have lived your dreams.

And even better, if you can actually sit down and talk with someone who you feel is successful, whether a business owner, musician, doctor, or whatever, have a serious conversation with this person– you may be surprised at how interesting s/he truly is. Don't necessarily ask for advice, just notice the qualities that make this person who they are, because most likely these will be the same traits you see in all the great musicians you love as well.

Changing Your Perspective:

If you truly feel in your heart that you will be great, one day, why wouldn’t you go for it? Once you stop thinking about yourself as an average person, your perception on the opportunities you have will completely change.

As corny as it may sound, this whole process starts with believing in yourself. If you are constantly thinking “I can never do this..”, you NEVER ever ever will. You have to believe in yourself 100%, and then even more to combat all the people that won’t ever believe in you.

Learn to be positive, and also, learn to be okay with being a little bit corny with yourself, because you will have to to stay positive. Learn to love yourself and what you do. The process of becoming a great musician is more than learning an instrument, its learning who you are; it’s a lifelong journey into personal development.

It all starts with creating a new perspective, and now you are beginning to make that change. Keep success on your mind every day, start to really believe it can happen to you, and if you keep up the effort, it will.