If you’re stuck, try going on a side quest
From 2019 - 2022 summer time, I spent all my time learning how to produce and make dubstep like my favorite artists.
I wanted to make tunes like Virtual Riot, Space Laces, Ace Aura etc
For the first 5 months, it was going great.
I was learning a ton of sound techniques and re-creating them.
Now anyone who has tried dubstep will tell you.
After that initial "golden period"...
It was the most miserable roller coaster of his and lows trying to learn this and create the sounds I was proud of.
Around July 2022, I decided to call it quits and stop making dubstep.
I failed at making that my main sound style and the dubstep project never took off.
Why is this important for you?
I'm sure you can relate to this situation and story with some part of your life outside of just music.
You tired to learn how to code but the challenge of learning new languages & functions made it frustrating and unenjoyable - to the point of quitting.
Or you wanted to learn cooking, dancing.. heck even starting an online business
With everyone of these, there comes a roadblock of some sort where you can't make progress like you used to.
Plateaus are a manifestation of the law of diminishing returns, and when we reach one it simply means that it is time to adjust our methods. - Chris Matakas, The Tao of Jiu Jitsu
This causes misery and frustration like nothing else.
You want to chase after your goals and vision while still enjoying your life but you can't.
Do this by accepting the "side quest".
I'm a strong believer that life and RPG games are the same in many aspects.
Like the Dark Souls games, you have a main story line quest and a ton of side stories and quests.
If you focused on only completing the main story line first before any side quests;
You'll find yourself struggling and failing to get past even the first (and easiest of the game) boss.
But when you take the side quests and get the experience from it, the main quest becomes a lot easier.
In life, your big vision and goal is the main story line quests and other interests and skills are the side quests.
Can you see how this makes sense and how it relates to your life?
Benefits of solving this in your life
Firstly, switching mindsets to this will give you so much more peace, joy and comfort in knowing that there is something you can do to overcome your roadblock.
You'll regain that spark of life again and start appreciating all the good you have in your life.
You'll also make progress towards your main goal without "directly" working on it since you're building the skills necessary to break that roadblock/plateau.
This is like in games where you do side quests to get xp and level up your character before you take on the next boss.
Steps you can take to solve this.
1. Figure out what side quests you can take are
Write a list of all the things you know will be good for you that aren't related to your main goal or are curious about but never tried, like:
Fitness (sleep, diet, exercise)
Learning and diving deeper into a new faith (for me it was Christianity)
Learning new skills you're curious about (right now for me its writing, marketing and business but for you it could be sound design, mixing, mastering, music in new genres, new fields of study like science or history, cooking, martial arts, sowing etc.)
Going to different events or travelling to places you've never been. Most people have never fully explored a 4 hour radius of where they live so you have a lot of locations nearby to see first! You can open Google Maps, zoom out a bit and click a random spot that you've never been to. Invite some friends and make it a memorable trip.
Apprenticing in a field you're curious about (for me it would be sales)
2. Choose one from your list in which you're confident you could 100% complete given a 3-4 month period of focus.
Deep dive into the side quest - taking in as much as you can when engaging and see it through to 100% completion.
I say 100% completion because anything less has little value in the real world and for your life.
You don't only learn how to cook rice when you need to serve sushi.
Learn the entire process 100% first and then you can make banger sushi!
3. Enjoy the process and realize that taking side quests is part of life and is what makes it fun and worthwhile.
If you got what you wanted without any struggle, would you be truly content after getting it? - Look at lottery winners.
We've all seen stories of folks who win the lottery only to become more depressed and stressed out than before.
They might see close friends and family change behaviour for some money.
They feel isolated and lose trust of those close to them - never truly knowing their intentions.
*Generic but true advice alert*
Learning to navigate life despite setbacks is how you can win and ultimately achieve your big goal while enjoying the process.
Be adaptable!
4. After completing the side quest to 100%, return to your main quest, re-attempt the “boss room” and surpass it.
At this point, you will be a different person with new perspectives, skills and experiences.
It's time to get back to your main goal and push further in it and break through that plateau.
If you can’t break through - do more side quests and repeat this process.
In conclusion
When you are struggling and feel like you’re making no progress towards your goals, try taking a step back.
Switch to a “side quest” and get that xp.
Level up your character in life with new skills, perspectives and experience.
You will enjoy life more, be happier, develop new skills and when you’re ready, take on the boss and beat that plateau you once had.
Coming full circle, all the dubstep and sound design techniques I learned in that struggling cycle are now crucial skills I am grateful to know which gives me a leg up in my work today.
If I didn't have the info I learned back then, I would not be able to provide even half the value and info I can today.
That dubstep mission was in reality a side quest leading me toward my main quest - the one I'm on now;
Which is to help 100 producers this year (2024) start making release ready songs and begin to grow their artist project.
Next week, I will be starting a 4 part series called the “Focused Finisher” series which delves into exactly my mission for 2024.
In essence - its the best of what I can offer producers and highlights everything I teach and show, all so they can
Create high quality and inspired song ideas
Finish them into full songs consistently
Mix and master your songs to pro level standards like you hear on the radio
Be able to create the sounds you hear in your head
Network and reach out to bigger DJs and artists
All so you can begin taking the right steps to living your dream and making music your full time thing (which if you're reading this, I assume you want!)
The name Focused Finisher derives from the system I used to get 60K+ Spotify streams in 5 months on a new artist project.
How I've gotten my own brand outside this project from 0 to 300K+ views across different platforms in 9 months.
How I got one of my students a major label release (in their genre) in also 5 months after working together.
How I got another to 45K+ views on their social media post in just 2 weeks after working together.
So much more to explain over the next 4 weeks so stay tuned.
Until then,
Peace - Vig/MA
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