creating success

I used to be very scattered and rather naive. Now I'm scattered but focussed. My definition of success used to be pleasing everyone else and living my life according to what I thought they wanted so that they'd be pleased with me. Now I live my own life and my own dream.

In order to do this, I had to look deep inside, figure out my goal, and work steadily at the process of achieving it, over time. Trusting that consistent diligence pays off.

For example:

GOAL: to become the singer I dreamed of being since I was 5 or 6 years old

- even though I was terrified, I finally began to take voice lessons. I almost quit almost weekly for years. As I began to wake up and see how the suit of armour I'd created to protect myself when growing up... was now the 3 feet thick cement tower trapping Me inside... I began to see that the things that limited me in singing limited me in life. Over time, singing lessons became a form of 'voice therapy' for me... healing me from shyness and assisting me to find my Self. After a few years of training I began to teach. As I worked I realized that I was not alone, that there were many other 'shy' people out there, and I realized that perhaps my whole journey had been for the purpose of waking my Self up & finding my voice.... and that I could now be a mentor or a guide to others who wished to do the same. I've been training as a singer for 19 years and teaching for 12. It is very special to be part of someone else's journey for a time, watching them open up, learn, grow.

For example:

GOAL - create income from music placements

- figure out what tools I need in order to create music worthy of placement in film/tv, save up to get them & learn how to use them; figure out what skills I need and find a way to learn them. I focussed my energies on quality (using peer reviews & screener feedback to grow); when I began to get interest in the music from music libraries/publishers, I began to focus on quantity (do songwriting challenges, write for listings, set goals to assist in growing my pitchable cataloque). Right now I continue to work on creating a large number of quality tracks, with the aim of signing multi-song deals... knowing that the deals I sign today will be income 2 or 3 years from now. The aim is to continue with persistence on this path (rinse & repeat), enjoying the journey & the people I meet along the way. The end result will be my music working for me.

Seems to me the way to create success for yourself is to work steadily at something, despite the distractions, doubts, failures that you meet along the way.