Practice journal reflections for musicians: self-doubt

As musicians, it’s common for self-doubt to creep in about the work we do. It’s totally normal, but let’s reflect on any self-doubt we may have in the practice room and how we can approach it differently when it shows up.

How do you deal with self-doubt in the practice room?

Like right now. If you’re experiencing self-doubt, or if you were to experience self-doubt - how would you handle it or let it affect you? Are you letting it affect you? Does it get out of control sometimes? Is it wildly discouraging? I’ve been through it, and I still go through it. There is no right or wrong answer to this question - or any of them for that matter, as this has to do with your experience, and your experience alone.

Where do you think it comes from? Where did it originate?

Think about the why. Is it just because you can’t play the way you want today? Or is it because someone discouraged you a long time ago? Or is it because of a bad habit you developed that you never actually had to address? Try to keep asking yourself “why” until you get to the root of the issue.

Would you talk to a friend the way your self-doubt talks to you? If it doesn’t present in negative self-talk, would you doubt someone close to you the same way you doubt yourself in situations like this?

More often than not, we wouldn’t. So why are we talking this way or viewing ourselves this way?

How do you think you can remedy the issue at the core of the self-doubt?

Try thinking about this from an objective third-party point of view.

Is self-doubt the result of a bad habit that’s never been addressed? Address it and take the steps to remedy it as best as you can.

Is the self-doubt a result of years of comparison? We are the only ones who have had our own unique journey, growth, set of circumstances to get where we are today, so it’s not fair to us to compare someone else’s success on ourselves.

When putting the plan into practice, try approaching it with the same patience and compassion as you would with a close friend.

We live with ourselves every day, we know ourselves the best, so give yourself the same grace, patience, and compassion as you would with a friend dealing with the same thing. It’s so easy for self-doubt to become a vicious cycle as a musician, and it can ruin careers before they even have a chance to start.

If any of this helps or sparks your interest, I’d love to hear about it.

If you’re looking for a flute teacher, wanting to try flute lessons, or looking to add more tools to your practice routine I have space available in my online studio. I have a lot of options to choose from, so if you’d like to work with me, but would like to chat about your interests and goals, let me know by clicking here and we can see what’s a right fit for you.