Getting to the Next Level

June 2, 2004 by Debra Russell

Very often artist’s get stuck at a particular level of success.  And they do everything they know to do, but can’t seem to progress.  So how do you get to the next level?

The first thing is to define where “there” is. What are characteristics of “there”? (i.e. what kind of gigs will you be getting?  How much money are you making?  What does your lifestyle look like?) I recommend you make this short term.  Where will you be in the next three to four months? Be specific.

Once you’ve identified where there is, start doing research. Now most people think of research as reading books.And a lot can be found in books.  But I think the best place for this kind of research is people. There are people that you know personally, who are “there,” who are doing what you want to be doing. Come up with a list of 5 questions (like “What steps did you take to get you to this level?).

Then ask these people if you can interview them. Treat them to lunch. Most people are flattered and love to share what they know with you. If one person says, “No” to your request, that’s OK. They weren’t the right person anyway. Keep asking until you’ve got at least three people to talk to. Find out what they’re doing differently than what you’re doing. What do they have in place? Who do they have helping them? What was the biggest obstacle and biggest breakthrough that allowed them to get where they are?

Doing what you’ve been doing has gotten you this far.  Continuing to do what you’ve been doing and expecting a different result, well, that’s Einstein’s definition of insanity.  So you need to discover the actions that will take you to the next level.  I say discover, because if you already knew,  you’d already be doing them.  So after you interview those folks, put together a plan of action that incorporates what you’ve learned.

One last word, as you interview people it may seem that luck had a lot to do with their success. But I have found that luck is a result of you putting all the pieces in place, and putting what you want out into the world, and taking the actions you see to take. All the while, keeping your eyes open and being ready to take advantage of the opportunities that flow your way.