Defining my Priorities

As I think about how I want to move forward, I have to prioritize my projects and my time. What actions can I take right now to move forward? And what actions can I be taking in the near future to move forward?

The first thing I feel I need to do is increase my number of complete songs. My songbook has plenty of half songs that I wrote a verse or two for, but never finished. I need a more diverse selection of completed songs that I can start sharing with people. Having more incomplete songs than complete songs doesn't do me much good and won't get me very far.

The next thing I need to do is start taking steps to find composers and/or bands who have an interest in my songs. I don't play any instruments and can't afford to take lessons right now. I need to get in trouch with people who can set my songs to music and are willing to work with me.

Of these two priorities, I can get more specific about what I need to do to reach my goals. For example:

Priority 1-Completing More Songs
-Moments of Happy
-Anything to You
-Victim Card

Priority 2-Connecting with Composers
-Posting my Lyrics
-Singing my Songs
-Posting Ads to Find Anyone Interested

Not only have I identified my top two priorities, but I have also clarified the steps I'll take to complete these tasks. Each of these steps can be broken down even more to be more specific about what needs to be done, but what I have now serves the purpose of setting my priorities so I can reach my goals. I plan to make this a great year!

~Eliza

My Song Fragments

In a recent post I talked about how it can sometimes be difficult to finish a song, even when you're off to a good start and feel like it has potential. I've made a list of 5 song fragments that I have. I hope to have the first 2 finished by the end of the month and all 5 finished by the end of the year.

1. Despite the Things You Say
2. Dream
3. A Way That I Can Understand
4. Wish I Could Breathe
5. You've Got a Way

Obviously these titles don't mean anything to anyone reading this, but I wanted to give an example of what I'm working on. I've got five song fragments, I've prioritized them, and I've set goals for finishing them. This gives me a way to focus on those projects that aren't finished yet without overwhelming myself or wasting too much time.

When I look at the song fragments I have, it helps to think about what I was doing or what I was thinking about when those ideas came to mind. An idea is usually sparked by something someone else says or does. Thinking about those events put me in the mindset I was in when I originally started writing the song. And remembering where that song came from and why you started writing it is crucial to finishing it.

The problem I run into when I try to complete a song is that I'll come up with a few lines that follow the same topic, but don't go well with what I have already written and was trying to finish in the first place. Then I am left with two song fragments and the frustration of being unable to finish either one. I can't predict whether that will happen with any of the items on my list of song fragments, but I will do my best to have all 5 completed by the end of the year.

~Eliza