Journaling can be an outstanding way to uncover some subconscious thoughts you may have about singing. Sometimes the biggest blocks we have in order to progress in your singing are mental!

If you are new to journaling, it is very simple. You take a notebook or a piece of paper and write down your thoughts. You write down unedited versions of yourself, which is so freeing because during the day we are constantly editing ourselves. It’s really our conscious mind that is editing what we say, for the most part that is good. It’s good that we edit ourselves and we don’t say everything that pops into our heads. It’s a great opportunity to get to know yourself better if you start journaling, especially about your singing.

What I’ve been finding here is a lot of my students hit roadblocks and these roadblocks, believe it or not, are not physical roadblocks. It’s not because they can’t figure out how to open their mouth or they can’t figure out how to hold a note longer or how to get louder. The roadblocks are mental. Singing really is about 80 to 90% mental and 10% physical. That’s why everything we do when we sing is important, but what’s even more important is our thoughts.

Now, a lot of us have thoughts like:

• I’m not good enough at singing.
• I’m never going to be great at this.
• It’s taking me too long.
• Why can’t I figure this out faster?
• Why don’t I like the sound of my own voice?
• I hate the sound of my own voice.

It’s okay if you have these thoughts. You don’t have to judge yourself for them. We all have them and it’s really important to remember that we are not our thoughts, but in an effort to kind of uncover these thoughts that are lying dormant, we should start journaling.

I have been having some of my students do this exercise and they’ve been telling me that it’s been really helpful for them, so that’s why I want to share it with you. So in this first week of journaling prompts, I want to offer you three prompts for things that you can journal on this week.

JOURNAL PROMPTS:
Grab your notebook and answer the following questions.

Why do I sing?

The first thing I want you to journal on is why do I sing? Some of us have been singing so long that we reconnect with our why. Why do we keep doing this? What makes us keep working on our voices? Should we keep taking lessons or watch YouTube videos about singing? We always want to be making a conscious choice that this is what we’re doing, and so that we’re more physically present mentally present while we’re singing.

What is holding you back?

The second thing I want you to journal about is what is holding you back? This can be anything, and I’m sure you are going to come up with all different responses for this, but specifically, I really want you to come up with what is emotionally and mentally blocking you and holding you back. You’re going to get a whole different set of answers when you write that down as a journal entry, and this is where the work really begins.

What is one goal that you want to accomplish in the next six months with your singing?

I want you to make up a goal that you’re going to physically, time-wise, emotionally be able to accomplish by the end of the year. Make it a SMART goal- specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time based.

Here are some ideas if you get stuck- start a new practice routine, to make a spot in your house as your little studio, to maybe record yourself, singing something for the first time, or maybe to post yourself singing something for the first time.

Make this goal anything that you want it to be. I want you to write it down because when you write something down, it becomes physical. It enters our physical realm. It changes from just a thought that’s rolling around in your head to something that actually exists. This is something that you’re going to make happen and I think that you are going to surprise yourselves when you really decide to make this goal and go for it.

So right now, go grab your notebook or a piece of paper and write down the answer to these questions. It’s only going to take you five minutes. It’s going to really change the course of your next 90 days. I think you’re going to find a lot of freedom in journaling.

Start to write down some of your thoughts and feelings behind your singing. Chances are, unless you have a voice teacher, you’re not really talking to many people about this and you might be bottling up a lot of those things. Being able to write them down will give you a new found sense of “why”. It will give you a little bit of an insight into what’s going on and behind the scenes in your brain, into your subconscious mind. It’s also going to give you a really great goal to work towards in the next coming months.

So, let me know if you have any questions, I’d love to hear what your goal is if you feel comfortable sharing it with me.