Ever been close to a big break only to have someone pull the rug out from under you?
You’ve heard it before: Success in music requires working with other people (creatively and professionally). You’re at the mercy of others.
It sucks, but it’s true.
How do you find people who won’t let you down?
There’s a simple “rule” you can follow when deciding who to work with. But before I share it, it’s important you understand something.
You can either choose to hang around people who pull you down and mock you for going after big goals and thinking differently, or you can choose to spend time with people who inspire you. The musicians you want in your corner will support your dreams, raise your standards and believe in your ability to get sh*t done.
You – and only you – can select a powerhouse team. Forming a tight-knit group of individuals you respect to accomplish business and personal goals is the best way to surround yourself with musicians who are going to lift you up. This is the essence of a strong band. A successful band, is one that operates in complete harmony and cooperation for the success of each individual member, as well as for the success of the group.
Most of us don’t think that way when picking band members.
How Most Of Us Decide Who To Work With
You probably decide who to work with based on 3 things:
- Urgency (how badly you need them)
- Passion (how much they love music)
- Talent (how good they are)
Here’s the thing…
Those qualities aren’t important.
And if you’re fed up spinning your wheels with the wrong people, then you have to think differently about this.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the
most time with.” ~ Jim Rohn
The Average 5 Rule
The average 5 rule states…
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”.
When you write music with others, you spend a lot of time with them. And you naturally inherit many of their qualities (good or bad) and suffer (or benefit) from the decisions they make.
That’s why following the average 5 rule is so important.
To explain, deciding to spend most of your time with people you want to “be like” will help you “filter out” who not to work with. It will also ensure you inherit good qualities from the musicians you will spend a ton of time with. To challenge you to be better than what you currently are. And help you get past your roadblocks, ensuring your music will have the impact you want it to have.
How To Pick Who You Work With
You can save yourself from wasting countless hours with the wrong people, by tweaking your criteria and being more deliberate.
For example, picture someone you want to work with or have worked with before and ask yourself these questions…
“Do I trust them?”
“Are they dependable?”
“Do they admit when they’re wrong?”
“Are they honest?”
“Do they have qualities I admire?”
If you answered “yes”, then work with them. If you answered “no”, don’t.
I want to point out that all you’re doing here, is changing your thought processes. You’ll discover that most of the problems you face will go away simply by changing the way you think about them.
Personal example, I transitioned from earning zero income performorming live music for 10 + years, to dependable income in three months. All by changing the way I thought about the problems I was experiencing. If you want to see what those were, I recommend you register HERE for my weekly webinar. You’ll learn some easy strategies to earn income at your next gig.
Which brings me to my final point…
The Benefits of Following the Average 5 Rule
If you’re like me, the moment you start following the average 5 rule you’ll be able to make the best decisions about who you let into your “inner circle”. You’ll have more energy, more inspiration, and waste less time working with people that will let you down and hold you back.
Before following the rule, I’d hitch my wagon to the star of a talented artist and hope for the best. Because of their bad decisions and counterproductive habits, I’d get soo close to the finish line but never cross it. But thankfully, that hasn’t happened in a long time.
What Do You Think?
Have you found yourself stuck working with creative people and things don’t out? What do you think would happen if you thought differently about who to let into your inner circle?
Let me know in the comments below.
