We got into music because we love it. 

No, scratch that. We got into music because we couldn’t not get into it. Because there’s something in us that just feels right at home when we pick up our instrument, or walk into the studio, when our creativity gets to soar and we get to be ourselves in that very unique way that only happens when it’s us and our music. 

Musicians know the feeling. Industry professionals know the feeling. You know that feeling. That’s why you’re here. We all chase it. But sometimes we have to put it on the back burner because of work or life or whatever else—and that feels awful, doesn’t it? 

But when you’re working full time and trying to manage all the other little pieces of life, it can feel exhausting to try to fit in your passion. It starts to feel more like a chore and less like the thing that truly lights you up, until it becomes more and more difficult to make it a daily part of your life again.

First, you’re not alone. We all feel this at one point or another and everyone struggles to prioritize the things they love. It doesn’t mean you don’t love it, it just means you might need a little help finding time for it. And you’re also not alone in juggling your day job with music. Most musicians are in this stage right now. 

There is a whole community of musicians hustling to make this their reality, but if you’re not careful, it can start to feel overwhelming. So, how do you break the cycle and balance your music career with your day job?

Good news? It’s totally possible.

So many songwriters overthink their music, and it’s easy to understand why. Our songs are judged as good, bad, or forgettable. That judgement can feel personal. So not only do we want to win over audiences, we also want to avoid the pain of criticism. To protect ourselves we seek to make our music perfect.

The problem is that “perfect” is a moving target. If you choose perfection over progress, some of your greatest assets as a music-maker will take a backseat to overthinking. Here are 4 signs that overthinking might be hurting your songwriting process (and how to break free).