All composers and musicians will have a different vision for their career expectations. High aspirations are encouraged and will include career milestones, financial achievements and creative development. The most helpful approach is to combine motivation and realism.
How to set realistic expectations:
- Set clear, achievable goals (using the SMART system – asana.com/resources/smart-goals)
- Regularly evaluate progress and adjust expectations based on real-world feedback
- Open communication helps to agree goals and expectations
- Ensure goals are aligned with your values for greater levels of wellbeing (brainfirstinstitute.com/blog/aligning-with-values-the-neuroscience-of-values-based-actions)
Realistic expectations take account of our limitations, resources, and circumstances.
Unrealistic expectations are often idealistic, perfectionistic, or based on comparisons to others.
It’s important to evaluate if your expectations are feasible based on your situation and abilities.
Recent research has suggested that music careers regularly feature high levels of risk and that the failure to achieve expected success can pose psychosocial risks related to anxiety and depression. This highlights why it’s so important to set realistic career goals, along with making sure support systems are in place to help music creators achieve these goals.
Composers and musicians are often perfectionists, and whilst this can drive high quality creative work, it can also cause feelings of inadequacy, a fear of failure and difficulty in meeting self-imposed deadlines. This can impact mental health leading to stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and a sense of failure.
Setting more realistic goals and practicing self-compassion can help manage these negative impacts.
Performances are going to be different every night and will depend on many factors including the audience, what else is happening in the world and many other issues which the performer has no control over. A flat show after an amazing audience reaction the week before can be demoralising, but it’s helpful to remember that you will never be able to recreate the exact conditions for each performance.
Learn from the show that didn’t go so well and keep performing – this will put everything in context. Be kind to yourself and remember that mistakes are inevitable and are opportunities for development.
It can be helpful to break down expectations into smaller steps that are easier to achieve and enable you to measure progress.
External pressure from society can make it difficult to set realistic expectations for yourself. Everyone’s progress is different and the same thing won’t work for everyone. Your own goals and values will help you take control of your own work.
Seek support from people who can help you and develop a supportive network which can help provide useful insights and feedback and encourage you.
Be prepared to be flexible as circumstances change around you. Goals can be reviewed and amended.
It is important to remember that success in music is not achieved overnight. It takes hard work, dedication, and perseverance to reach your goals. It is important to stay focused and remain motivated even when things get difficult.
