How To Stop Bad Music Habits In 2023

As we get further into 2023, it's time to make some changes.

The idea of New Year's resolutions is great, but often I think they can lead to disappointment. 

Instead of focusing on what to add to your routine, let's focus on what to eliminate. 

By doing less of what you hate and more of what you love, you'll create a more fulfilling and successful 2023. 

Sound like a plan?

Let’s set some anti-goals together to improve our music experience:

Step 1: Be Honest with Yourself

The first step to setting anti-goals is to reflect on what drains your energy and makes producing music a chore. 

Identify the tasks and activities you dread doing and why.

These might be tasks related to your day or related to music that drain you. 

I know for me this used to be constantly checking my phone and getting distracted by different “shiny objects” when making music.

Be honest and don't feel guilty about it.

Step 2: Attach a Reworked Statement to Each Task

Once you have a clear idea of what you dislike, attach a reworked statement to each task. 

This statement should include the words "I won't" or "I'm not going to" to emphasize your commitment to avoiding it. 

For example, if you hate being distracted by your phone like me, your anti-goal could be "I won't check my phone until after I work on music for at least 30 minutes" or “I’m not going to check my phone for the first 2 hours of the day”.

Step 3: Attach a How Statement to Each Anti-Goal

To make your anti-goals a reality, you need to have a plan of action. 

For each anti-goal, outline how you're going to achieve it. 

To continue on the phone example, this might look like having a specific spot you hide your phone away in so that it is out of sight and you can stay focused.

Or you could also add feed blockers to your favorite apps so that even if you were to grab your phone you still wouldn’t have direct access to the distraction.

Sometimes a little bit of friction is all you need to stop the momentum of a bad habit.

Step 4: Execute Your How's

The final step is to put your plan into action. 

Take immediate action on each “how” statement and stick to your anti-goals. 

By eliminating the tasks and activities you don't enjoy, you'll have more time and energy to focus on what you love - producing music.

Setting anti-goals is a powerful tool for music producers looking to improve their music experience and bring more satisfaction to their time outside of work. 

By doing less of what you hate and more of what you love, you'll create a more fulfilling and successful 2023.

Reply back what some of your “anti-goals” look like. 

Maybe we can help hold each other accountable haha. Seriously though, I’m curious to know and also tell me if this helped!