A few years back, in a dance studio in Toronto, I was introduced to a fantastic tango song by another instructor. “This is great! When are you going to perform it?” I asked.
“Oh no”, she shook her head emphatically, “I need to find the right person to perform it with first.”
Most of us have certain projects we would LOVE to work on, but don’t – they’re so d*mn good, we feel we could ruin them if we rushed in before we have the right resources, skills, etc.
At the same time however, we risk taking this too far, adopting a perfectionist attitude that keeps us from taking on the work we love most. Where do we find the balance?
Now, I’m a big fan of finding that sweet middle ground between the easy jobs and the overwhelming ones. But it’s hard to be so clinical with a project you’re emotionally invested in.
A more mindful approach would be to go through reasons to work on ‘your baby’, AND reasons not to, then see how it feels to consider each side. So, let’s start with…
Reasons to Wait
Reason One: You don’t have the right instruments. For example, I would love to create upbeat music with a worldly vibe. Traveling is something I would love to do more of, but, well.. I’m loving the work even more right now.
Until recently however, I haven’t had access to high-quality samples of these instruments. And trying to create a rahab or a sheng sound from scratch is like thinking your G license qualifies you to drive a train.
Reason Two: You don’t have enough money. Much as it would be great to hire musicians and orchestrate a cover of Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall, that’s some serious cash you’d be shelling out.
Reason Three: You don’t have the right collaborations set up yet. Obviously if you love Dua Lipa’s music and want to do a song with her, it’s just not going to be the same if she doesn’t respond to your emails.
That said, unless you’re Da Baby, I hope you are working up to that one.
Reason Four: You just don’t feel skilled enough. While it’s good to challenge yourself, starting off with traditional Balkan music might be biting off more than you can chew.
Be careful with this one however, as we can easily low-ball ourselves into never feeling we are skilled enough.
Generally though, I think it’s far too easy too come up with reasons/excuses not to do something. Which brings us to…
Reasons to Start
Reason One: It will stretch your abilities. There’s nothing like an inspiring goal to push your abilities to new heights. Let the excitement of finally tackling The Big One push you to try approaches you’ve never before dared.
Reason Two: It breaks you out of a rut. This is particularly relevant if you are prone to perfectionism.
In this state, ALL potential projects can start looking like gems that always seem to sparkle in your imagination – until you try to make them reality.
If this is you, pick something and DO IT. If you can’t choose, flip a coin. You will only get to the level you need to be at if you start somewhere.
Reason Three: It will teach you about yourself. If you’re avoiding a particular project, it might be connected to certain beliefs you hold regarding what you can – and can’t – do.
By taking deep breaths and spending at least a little time on it every day, you have the opportunity to face those demons, and vanquish them. Sounds dramatic, doesn’t it?
Seriously though, it’s incredibly empowering to push through your fears, even if you don’t like the end result. Speaking of which…
Reason Four: It doesn’t really matter. “What?! Of course it matters!” I hear you say. Actually, it matters to YOU – the rest of us likely aren’t seeing it the same way.
We have a self-destructive tendency to blow things to gigantic proportions in our mind, and then when they don’t work out, it feels the end of the world.
This is where some perspective can be handy. Let’s say you try creating that perfect song, and it just doesn’t measure up in the end. Ouch.
But then again, did you not learn something from the experience? Will anyone remember in a year? Can you not just remix the song and try again later?
And even if you DO produce a 10 out of 10 in your book, in a few years, that 10 is probably going to look more like a 6.
Bottom line: If there’s significant physical or financial restraints to tackling your dream project, it’s probably best to wait.
But be honest with yourself about how much of these concerns are coming from from places of fear, and how much come from reason. The brain can make some very compelling arguments that fall apart under close scrutiny.
And in the end, what have you got to lose? A project, no matter how exciting it sounds, is just a project, and will be followed by ever more amazing ones as you grow and develop.
Credits:
‘Afro-Haired Woman Sitting on Couch Using an iPad’ by Polina Tankilevitch from Pexels
‘Assorted Gem Stones on Plate’ by Los Muertos Crew from Pexels
‘Black Stackable Stone Decor at the Body of Water’ by Nandhu Kumar from Pexels
‘Black Steam Train on Building’ by Pixabay from Pexels
‘Closeup Photo of Primate’ by Andre Mouton from Pexels
‘Focus Photo of Yellow Paper Near Trash Can’ by Steve Johnson from Pexels