No deadlines? Want to play but stuck? Here’s how I set practice goals without external motivation

Do you ever find yourself at a loss of what to practice when you don’t have any outside deadlines but still want to play?

First, let me preface this with if you really don’t want to practice, don’t. You don’t want to drill negative things like resentment into your habits by forcing yourself to play. It’s okay to take a break and not want to practice. Practicing is a neutral activity and is not a representation of your worth as a person. That was a long and jarring lesson for me to learn.

In this post I’m talking about wanting to practice but don’t know what because you don’t have any external deadlines or projects or pressure driving you. Because this has happened to me and I’ve been asked how do I keep up my maintenance playing without *something looming.*

It’s self-created structure (I need structure omg), projects, and taking time to continuously fall back in love with my craft. That and being kind to myself.

For me that means creative projects, scheduling practice time in, making a structure of what my practice goals would be for x amount of time (like the summer I went back to full-on basics with technique), improvising, and learning some favourite pieces and 2 am research rabbit-hole pieces - I’m totally doing that now (I’m a nerd)

And when I didn’t feel like it, I didn’t force it.

For someone else that might look like picking up their instrument once a week to play a few notes, figuring out their favourite song from the radio by ear, learning a new skill like creative coding, hitting up a few friends for a jam session, or even finding a friend or colleague to help them be accountable for any goal they want to set for themselves (that’s okay too.)

Consider taking time - whatever that may look like for you, and fall back in love with your craft. I’ll be here cheering you on, and I’m available for accountability as well. 🌸

If you’re looking for a comfy space to learn something new, maintain something not new, or really dig into the creativity that’s simmering below the surface over the summer, consider my Got Flute? Summer Flute Lessons package - built with summer in mind with different options for flexibility in scheduling. They’re not just flute lessons, but you get weekly group drop in sessions for questions, demos, to practice with others for accountability, as well as customized resources made for you, my practice planner, my hub (or hoard) of resources, and curated listening lists. Check it out by clicking here.