There will be times when you feel like you’ve run out of steam. How you deal with those situations is the ticket to progress.

I’m going to talk about what you can do to drive yourself; in the shoes of someone who’s in this very situation.

READ MORE: How to Beat Writers Block

What Do I Want? The Dream

I want to be a versatile EDM producer who can adapt to any creative situation, create unique remixes, and be a notorious performer.

I should think about what I want to achieve with my life. What will make me happy? But, it’s okay if I haven’t figured it out yet. I shouldn’t be afraid to sit down in a quiet place for an hour or a few.

How Am I Going to Get There? Goals

Goal: I want to get better at my sound design.

Goal: I want to write better introductions.

Goal: I want to make better mixing downs.

Goal: I want to DJ with smoother transitions.

Notice I’ve said “want to” rather than “need to“. How I frame my road map is very important. I should avoid creating any pressure on myself that comes through a “need”. If I frame my road map in “should” terms, I claim responsibility for my actions and desires whilst avoiding a meteor of guilt if I don’t achieve them when I want to.

How Am I Going to Achieve My Goals?

Okay, this is the most important part.

It’s vital that I don’t overload myself. Rather than tackle all four of those goals at once, I will get a lot further with all of them if I do one or two at a time.

Goal: I want to get better at my sound design.

I’m going to dedicate one hour of every other day to watching YouTube channels like Letsynthesize because that channel is full of knowledge in this specific area.

I will dedicate a second hour of those same days putting what I learn from Letsynthesize videos into practice.

Goal: I want to write better introductions.

I’m going to spend a maximum of two hours each following day to focus on my transition EQ’ing, and double down on my track selection.

…Fast Forward by One Month…

Now that I have achieved smoother transitions and have my first DJ booking, and I’m also creating interesting lead sounds for my own music, I am ready to focus on my next two goals.

I can’t write better mixdowns if I have no music to mix down, so I will focus on writing interesting intros but also mix them down as I go. I can combine both of my goals, which is always a big help, and feel achieved even faster!

Reassess Goals

Since I’ve come a long way from where I was, I want to keep progressing! I’ve experienced the power of self-management, so I’m going to think about what else will get me to where I want to be.

Goal: I should write an EP
Goal: I should invest in and learn to use a launchpad
Goal: I should learn how to acoustically treat my room
Goal: I should start learning music theory

… and the cycle continues.

Final Thoughts

Progress isn’t easy. Learning music, like anything, takes time and dedication.

But you can do it! The most important part is knowing what you want. If you’re aiming for fame, you’re going to stress yourself out. If you’re aiming to be a reputable performer, not the best performer, then you can achieve that.

You will achieve that if you dedicate yourself.

READ MORE: Top 10 Tips to Help You Effortlessly Finish Your Tracks