The last half of the year is an important time for musicians and if you're not planning for it NOW it could be too late. From my experience most musicians are great at thinking on their feet. When a guitar string breaks mid-song or drum stick flys out of your hand in the middle of a packed house they will find a way to adjust quickly on the fly and get through it. Ask them what their plan is for Black Friday... most don't give it any thought until they're sitting down the night before for Thanksgiving dinner. There's nothing wrong with a little procrastination from time to time, but when it becomes the standard approach you take with your band you're not taking advantage of this opportunity. If you want to make the most of Q4, there are 4 things you need to do to get your shit together and end the year strong.

Get organized.

The same way you don't want to be scrambling to find your set list or pack your gig bag, you need to get organized. Even the most well thought out plans can still have a few bumps in the road. With no plan at all you are bound to waste all creative efforts and live in constant frustration because of your own lack of organization. Start looking toward Halloween, Black Friday and Christmas and start planning ahead. Develop a system for tracking your ideas and progress. Doing so will allow you to focus your creative energies and make the most of your talents.

I like using Trello.. I also have a notebook and pen at my workstation. it helps is jot down random ideas, notes. then Share them with our team (or band members in this case) in Trello. 

Set goals.

As a musician, when you're performing, there's no time to second-guess yourself or make mistakes - you have to be able to react quickly and instinctively. However, this same skill can sometimes be a liability when it comes to planning. Musicians are often so used to improvisation and making things up as they go along that they can find it difficult to set goals and stick to them. This can be frustrating for bandmates and producers who are trying to work with a musician to create something new. But ultimately, it's part of what makes musicians so creative - their ability to take the world around them and make something new out of it. We tend to set our goals too low and so you don't get disappointed when we don't achieve them or we set our goals too high and then get overwhelmed and quit. The key is to find a happy medium: set achievable goals that will challenge you without overwhelming you. With a little practice, you'll be surprised at how much you can accomplish. 

Create a plan of action.

As any band worth a shit knows, having a plan is essential for success. But with so many different elements to consider - from booking gigs to promoting your music to selling merch - it can be tough to know where to start. The good news is that you don't have to go it alone. By following these simple steps, you can create a comprehensive plan of action that will help your band achieve its goals.

1. Define your objectives. What do you want to achieve as a band? Do you want to build a following in your home town? Or are you aiming for national or even international success? Once you know what your goals are, you can start defining the steps you need to take to reach them.
2. Create a marketing plan. How are you going to get people interested in your band? What kind of promotion are you going to do? There's no wrong answer here, but it's important to have a strategy in place so that you're not just shooting in the dark.
3. Set up a system for tracking progress. Without a way to track your progress, it will be difficult to know whether or not your plan is working. There are a number of different ways to do this, but one simple method is to create a spreadsheet where you can track the number of gig inquiries, social media followers, and sales of merch over time.
4. Make adjustments as needed. As you start implementing your plan, you may find that some parts of it aren't working as well as you'd hoped. That's perfectly normal! The important thing is to be flexible and willing to make changes as needed. By constantly tweaking and refining your plan, you'll increase your chances of success in the long run.

Stay motivated.

Being in a band is a lot of work. Not only do you have to be talented and skilled at your craft, but you also have to be motivated and disciplined in order to make it successful. It's easy to get discouraged when things aren't going your way, but it's important to remember why you got into this in the first place. Whether it's the love of music, the creative outlet, or the desire to connect with others, find what drives you and don't let anything stand in your way. With hard work and determination, you can achieve anything. So don't give up on your dreams - keep pushing forward and see where they take you.

Get your band's plans together and crush the last half of the year.