January 6 is traditionally the day of wishes. Ask for something, hope and expect it to happen. In music, many projects work in exactly the same way: excitement at the beginning of the year and passive waiting for something to change.
The problem is that in an artistic career the “Three Wise Men” do not arrive on their own. Growth does not come by wishing for it, but by the decisions that are made when the initial motivation starts to wane.
THE MISTAKE OF STARTING THE YEAR EXPECTING A MIRACLE
Many artists start January with a mental wish list: more listeners, more gigs, more visibility, more opportunities. However, these wishes are rarely accompanied by a real change in the way they work.
Expecting different results by doing the same thing often leads to frustration in the medium term. Desire without action is not a strategy.
WHAT ARTISTS OFTEN ASK FOR (AND WHAT THEY REALLY NEED)
It is common to want external results: numbers, validation, rapid growth. But what really makes a difference often lies elsewhere.
More than asking for results, many projects need:
- Better organisation
- More judgement in launching
- More conscious decisions
- Sustainable processes
- Less improvisation
These things don't arrive gift-wrapped, they are built over time.
CHANGING THE YEAR DOES NOT CHANGE THE PROJECT ON ITS OWN
The change of calendar generates a sense of restarting, but the musical project remains the same if habits, priorities or structures are not changed.
January 6th can be a good time to ask yourself what new decisions you are going to make this year, not just what you would like to see happen.
FROM WISHES TO DECISIONS
The difference between a desire and a decision is commitment. Deciding implies assuming limits, renunciations and focus. Not everything can be done at once, nor can all goals fit into a single year.
When an artist starts to decide more judiciously, desires cease to be abstract and start to become real processes.
PROJECTS THAT GROW DO NOT EXPECT GIFTS
The projects that move forward are not the ones that want to move forward the most, but the ones that organise themselves the best. They analyse, correct, plan and sustain the work even when the initial motivation wears off.
In music, it is not the one who asks for more who wins, but the one who builds better.
6 January may be a good day to stop waiting for miracles and start making decisions that will move the music project forward in a real and sustained way.
