First Steps are the hardest. (#MSiNW Wave 3 - Post 1)

That's why I've sat here for 30 minutes without writing anything on this blog post.  I've talked on the phone about potential music video shoots, thumbed through the "Week 2" portion of Music Success in Nine Weeks by Ariel Hyatt, mused/fretted over Fridays show that I haven't fully prepared for, wondered, as I looked at the clock, whether it was better to just let today go to bed and start fresh tomorrow, all while occasionally staring at this blank screen with my mind VERY aware of the white space that SHOULD be filled with little black letters.

That was before I wrote the first paragraph.  This is NOW.  And now is Monday of the 2nd week of Wave 3 of the Music Success in Nine Weeks Blog challenge.  I procrastinated all the way through the weekend at the end of the 1st week of Wave 3 KNOWING that all I had to do was write one little entry on my experience on the journey thus far.

Why am I doing this blog challenge?  It's not because of the free stuff that comes with winning it.  It's not because Ariel Hyatt and the Cyber PR staff, all of whom I know and respect, are great people and really know what they are doing when it comes to online, indie PR.  It's not because of the 2 independent albums that I have put out already, the last ones (God Is In The City) PR campaign being managed by Ariel herself.  It's not because I have another project to promote at the moment.  And it's not because I'm long winded and want everyone to read my thoughts.  Welllllllll, maybe the last one.

It's because of exactly what "Week 1" talks about:  Goals, and the achievement of those goals.

The race of reaching the finish line for this "blog challenge" goal started in April 2009 when I released my last record, wanted to promote the hell out of it, and had met Ariel at a BMI sponsored talk on publicity and how the game has changed.  I exchanged numbers with Ariel and followed up with her about her running my PR campaign.  In the 4 months that followed, I, to her credit, recieved a bunch of press and radio play from her list of bloggers and online radio affiliates.  All this happened and it still didn't motivate me enough to fully commit to the steps that this book lays out.  Truthfully, I think, I only made it through the first four weeks (if that) before getting overwhelmed by other things in my life that seemed to take precedence.  I let the campaign slip away when it was in my hands to control and probably only did 40% of what I needed to do to have a successful campaign to the 150th percentile.

Let this not be a sob story though.  In the time since then, the goals that I have accomplished are;

1.  Started playing piano and singing at the same time in an attempt to become a solo act when I couldn't afford to play with a band.

2.  Written songs that will probably end up on my next album.

3.  Started collaborating with fellow songwriters and writing tunes that have been submitted to major label artists with promising results.

4.  Started an intense workout program that has led me to be in some of the best shape of my life.

5.  Booked 3 shows (2 upcoming) in a 3 month period (more than I have ever played in that short of a time)

6.  Play 3 open mics a week in NYC (reference number 1)

7.  Understanding the need for structure/ritualistic behavior and making that a part of my everyday routine.  Sitting down at the piano at 10am every day to work being one of those rituals.

I'll stop there before it gets annoying.

The point of all this, one that is laid out in the first pages of Ariel's book, is that I made up my mind to do some things in this past year and a half that I have accomplished and am STILL accomplishing because they were written down so many months ago when I first read the first chapter of this book.  I write in a journal because of this book.  I write down my 5 tiny successes of the day that's just passed in that journal because of this book.  I make lists of no more than six items before I go to sleep that have to be accomplished the next day because of this book.  I have long term goals written down that I WILL accomplish because of this book.

So why haven't I actually followed through and finished reading and executing the stuff in this book?

This moment of realization, as I thumbed through my new copy of Music Success in Nine Weeks, made me feel that I owe it to myself to accomplish the goal of finishing the race that started in April 2009 when I set out to gain and nurture a fanbase online, "supercharge my PR", and make more god damned money in the process.

Thank you Ariel and Cyber PR.  I am excited about what the next 9 weeks will do for my business brain.  The next post will be more timely... ;-)

Peace.

Nicholas Howard