Having a vision for your music career is the single most important factor in achieving long-term success in the music industry. Having a vision for your music career can help you succeed faster by giving you a strategy, a path to success. It can help you figure out the kind of people you need to connect with to help you get where you’re trying to get.

Finding your own personal vision for your music career sets you on the path to a life that will be more fulfilling for you. You will be fulfilling the dreams you had for yourself and not the dreams someone else had for you. You will be happier because you are being the artist that you want to be and that you planned to be. You’re making the music you wanted to make and living the life you wanted to live.

Here’s how you can start writing a vision statement for your music career with this checklist:

1. Set aside 15 minutes to begin writing your vision statement.

2. Ask yourself where you want to be in the music industry in five years.

* What genre of music are you into?

* Are you signed to a major record label? independent record label?

* How many albums are you selling a year? individual? downloads? Ringtones?

* Are you on tour? If so, how many people come to your shows? Where are you on tour? in the zone?

regionally? nationally? internationally?

* What income are you making?

* Who are your followers? age? gender?

3. Now write your vision using this format:
______________ (number of years), ____________ (your name/name of your music business) will become a successful ___________ (description of your music genre or description of your music business: include if it will be local, regional, national or international) by providing ____________ (description of your products and services) to __________ (description of your followers or customers).

For more tips on how to achieve greater success in the music industry, go to the Music Success blog: Music Success