Are you struggling to find the best time to improve your Music Production Skills?
I’m willing to bet you've tried setting up a regular schedule, but it’s hard to squeeze in time for Music Production with everything else you have to do.
And when you can finally wedge out an hour here or there, it only makes you feel more defeated because, let’s face it, an hour isn’t enough to achieve a pro-sounding track.
Don't worry! You’re not alone.
One of the biggest challenges people face is finding the balance between their everyday “life” activities jobs, errands, hobbies, relaxing, sleeping, and social time and their music production goals.
It’s hard to stay motivated to keep spending hours improving your production when you’re literally squeezing in a half hour here and there to dedicate to your music production and passion for music but never really “all-in”.
Speaking from experience, Beatport-worthy tracks takes skills, knowledge And TIME.
So how – and when – can you find enough time for Music Production? Should you do it first thing in the morning? Lunchtime? Later in the day?
Keep reading for the pros and cons of each...
Sometimes you have to be the early bird.
If early mornings are when you feel most productive, block out time for Ableton Live first thing in the AM.
Scheduling Ableton Live before everything (and everyone) else has 3 big benefits:
If you’re not naturally an early riser, a morning schedule can be hard to adopt.
But if you stick with it, over time you can actually change your body clock so you’re more alert in the morning.
Plus, studies show that also help you live longer - https://www.bbc.com/news/health-43711631
Another reason to Music Production in the morning?
It’s JUST fun
If mornings are an absolutely hard pass, tackling Music Production in the early afternoon can work too.
You just have to really stick to your plan. We all know how easy it is to procrastinate, right?
For example, if you schedule time for Music Production between 1-3pm every day, make sure you get your other “busy” tasks out of the way in the morning.
Don’t let those other tasks distract you or linger on! It’s too easy to get pulled into the “I’ll just do one more task” rut.
It may help to take a power nap and use lunchtime to shift your focus and mentally prepare for the switch. That can actually help shift your body clock and help you adjust to Music Production at that time.
On the plus side, it’ll likely be easy to stay consistent with Music Production in the afternoon. Most people are more physically energetic and alert at that time.
A recent study found that naps are a perfect way to reset for the afternoon https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/research-proves-it-naps-save-you-money
Personally, I’m a morning person. For many people, this is when they have more energy.
Scheduling Music Production after everything quiets down means you’ll have fewer distractions and an easier time focusing.
This is especially true if you have a family to care for and it’s only possible to dig in after your kids are asleep or have a busy career.
It’s also easier to focus due to the lack of distractions.
So if you “wake up” at night bursting with energy and focus, go for it.
Who needs to binge-watch Netflix? Be productive and get some Ableton Live done!
And if you’re not naturally a night owl but nighttime is the only time you have to Music Production, here are some tips to stay productive:
Ultimately, the best time for Music Production] is whenever you’re most productive. And by that, I mean: be awake, clear, with a few hours of devoted time ahead of you.
Sure, an hour here or there is great. But when it comes time to really focus and get things done, you need more than an hour.
When you are juggling list building with other “life” tasks and responsibilities, you have to be incredibly strict with your schedule. Set time-related deadlines and stick to them. So If you plan to start at 6 am, start at 6 am, not 6:30. That way there’s less room for procrastination.
Remember, the hardest part is starting. Even if your brain feels foggy, it’ll wake up once you start.
If you are still struggling to stay productive with your music production goals our online one-on-one coaching classes are a great answer.
We make sure you are heading towards your goals through 1 to 1 feedback, custom programs and accountability check-ins.
Click here to schedule a FREE consult and we can see if we are a good fit for your Music Production goals