“Now What?”

"Now what?” Two words that really shouldn’t be scary, but they can be soul suckers if we don’t have an answer. Have you ever achieved a milestone and found yourself in a rut? Think about it. Have you ever put so much time and energy and committed so much of yourself to something that when it was done the anticipated relief was more of a void?

I found myself in this routine. After vacations, holidays or special occasions would come and go and I would be left empty. It wasn’t until I ran a marathon that I realized this is something that happens.

It was 2009. I had just lost my Dad and I got myself into the Chicago Marathon. February to October I trained. I ran a lot... then I ran... a lot... then I ran more. Run, diet, rest and read about running, dieting, and all the things that go along with marathon life. It consumed my life. I had no goal other than to finish. I did it and then I was in the pit. The place where that rut you get into is located.

My race was over and I went from “I DID IT” to “Now What” in less than 48 hours. I did a little research and found this is a common thing with runners. Wouldn’t you know a little more research shows it applies to everyday life.

As musicians and artists, we are very susceptible to “Now What?”. We are passionate people and we immerse ourselves in all that we do. Projects like recording songs or albums, videos, productions, tours, benefits, or anything we are devoting ourselves to this very moment. When it’s over it can be tough to find what direction you want to go into next. Some people thrive in this environment. For me it’s better to avoid it.

So what can we do to avoid “Now What”? You could live free and breezy and not care about anything, but if you’re still reading this and thinking this might be you, then this probably isn’t your answer. But what you can do is always keep something on the horizon. Book some things out after your milestone. Consider a break or some down time but have something ready to go a month or more down the road, it’s there to continue the momentum from the last project and gives you something to focus on. In the between time don’t oversaturate your schedule so you get burnt out, but walk that fine line that keeps you moving forward without burning out.