Have you ever had a mentor or a coach, asking you where you want to be in five or ten or twenty years? I had a coach shortly after I became partner in the company. She asked me that question, and I didn’t know. I do my work, I know what I like and what I’m doing it for, without having a goal or a picture of where I want to be in five years. I felt like I was failing, as if I didn’t have any ambitions at all.
Now I have realized that there are different ways to show my ambitions, and also to discover them. One way starts with discovering what you like to do and why you like it. Be as specific as possible in this. Or you can ask your family, friends and colleagues about your strong points, about what they like about you. Try it, it’s really an amazing trip, a huge boost for your confidence!
Do you have an idol, a musician you really like and admire? Imagine that he/she wants to listen to you and to your music. What would you play? What would you tell him/her? What would you love to show? What would you like him/her to think about you after you’ve met? This is another way to discover the direction of your ambitions, your purpose, your meaning in life and music.
There is even a more indirect way. It starts with your strong points. Are you good in connecting with others? Or in having a positive mindset? Or in engaging and being persisting in your actions? Or do you have a huge amount of energy?
Above I’ve already explained how connecting with others can help you to discover your strong points and your ambitions. A positive mindset can keep you going in your search, even if your ambitions are not obvious and take more time to find them, through many small in-between ambitions like having a great weekend and don’t start arguing with your mate. Your engagement and persistence keep you going too, if that’s your strong point; same for your energy.
Knowing your ambitions helps to find your way in daily life. Still, you don’t always have to look at the mountain top to know the direction you are heading. Looking at the road itself and let you guide by your strong points and your ideals is another way of living up to your ambitions. That’s the way I’ve chosen, and I have very high ambitions. I don’t need to climb to the top; I want to tell musicians what I know, to use my experience in the music business to help artists, as booking agent, personal coach, or in workshops.
Begin of May I’ll give a workshop to young musicians. The stuff I write about here is one of the things I’ll teach them. It’s part of getting a D.I.Y. mindset, to make things happen instead of let them happen to you. I’m really looking forward to it!
Very interesting again, Hilde. I’ve recently blogged about a positive mindset as well. Perhaps you’d like to take a look? The URL is http://RaysofLight2.blogspot.com
Best wishes,
Renée