Time Is Your Secret Weapon: Time Management for Musicians (Episode 170)

You learned how to make music. Nobody taught you how to make a living making music.

"I'm too busy." "I don't have time to learn new skills." "There aren't enough hours in the day." Every musician has said it. In Episode 170 of The Career Musician, Nomad answers with a simple truth: you have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé, Jimi Hendrix and Quincy Jones had to master their craft.

This episode is about time management for musicians, and it is personal. Nomad tells the story of how time got the better of him as an artist, and what he wants you to do differently.

Time goes by whether you do or you don't

Nomad's refrain runs through the whole episode. Time keeps moving whether you chase your goals or not. You have probably thought it: if I had just stuck to the routine, practiced more, worked out, stayed on top of the business, I would be there by now. He has felt it too, and still does. That is human nature.

"Time is your most valuable resource, my friends. Use it wisely, because dreams don't work unless you do."

Nomad, 1:03

What helps him is listening to people who came before him in his field, hearing their struggles and their reframes. That, he says, is why the podcast exists.

Discipline beats motivation

If time passes either way, Nomad would rather get things done. That takes a POA, a plan of attack, and consistency. And you can't wait for motivation to show up.

"We can't rely on motivation. We have to therefore practice discipline so that we can be consistent in our actions."

Nomad, 4:38

Do that, and you get the compound effect. Work out five days a week at 9 a.m. and you see results in a month. Keep it up for six or nine months and the results stack on each other. Practice works the same way. Staring down all of Paganini's 24 Caprices? You can't eat an elephant all at once. Commit to a daily block, say 11 to 1, no matter what. If your schedule is too wild for a set time, at least commit to every day. Reliability beats virtuosity, and that starts with being reliable to yourself.

How 16 years slipped by

Then the story. Nomad was so busy making a living serving other artists, which gave him a career he is grateful for, that his own artistry kept getting pushed to "next month." He took steps. On the road, on days off or before soundcheck, he would go out into nature and record himself playing, planning to use it for his own project. But insecurities got in the way, and time kept slipping.

You look up and five years have gone by since you started your project. In his case, his album took 16 years from inception to finished. Don't let that be you. Grab time by the horns right now.

Know your why

The last lesson is about purpose. What is your why? What is your ethos, your code? Nomad's line: musicians don't save lives the way surgeons and emergency workers do, but we enhance them, because music is the one universal language.

Wanting to be the next superstar is fine. But peel it back a few layers. Who are you as a musician and a person? What do you want to say through your music? For Nomad, it is being a good person, forgiving, empathetic, and sharing the whole rainbow of emotion, joy and sadness, in everything he plays. Knowing that keeps your daily work pointed somewhere. It is the heart of the ETHOS code, starting with Energy you can sustain.

The takeaway

Stop counting the days and make the days count. Make a plan, choose discipline over motivation, and let consistency compound. If you want a framework to start with, grab the free plan of attack (POA) worksheet, and read more about the code behind it on the ETHOS page.

Get the gig. Keep the gig. Build the career.

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