I am sure we have all experienced a time when our energy level was low or felt overwhelmed by a task and didn’t want to do it. We live in a very fast-paced world where our responsibilities grow, but the time to do them is short. Whether it is a task to do for your career or a personal goal, music can be a great ally. Music acts as a motivator because it is usually a pleasurable experience to listen to or make it. It is more effective as a motivator when you choose music personalized to your tastes.
Within Music Therapy, music is used to motivate:
Goal behaviours
Motor functioning and stimulation
Completion of daily tasks
Creating a personalized playlist can be a great tool you can use daily to stay motivated. Here are some tips to get you started:
Set Your Intention: Brainstorm and think about what tasks you have difficulty staying focused on. Some examples could be; reading that article for work/school, having a tight deadline on getting that house built, physical fitness goals, or even getting your surroundings clean. These tasks can feel daunting and stressful.
Matching Your Music to the Task: Sometimes music can be beneficial or it can actually hinder your ability to stay motivated and focused. Choose music that matches the amount of energy needed for the task. For instance, when I am cleaning around the house or doing physical exercises, I tend to choose music that has a high pulsed beat, it’s uplifting and provides me with that added boost of energy. If I am needing to get something read or written, I find I still go with music that has a steady rhythm but is slower in pulse. What do you find works best for you?
Test the Music: Listen to the music playlist you created when going about your task. Observe if the music you chose actually helped you stay motivated to complete the task. If the music was distracting, then maybe it just wasn’t the right song for that task. If it works save it in your playlist(s).
Naming Your Playlist: The beauty of technology is that you can create a playlist for any task you’d like. I recommend creating playlists for different tasks and having fun exploring your musical motivators.
Sing or Groove Along: When listening to your playlist don’t be afraid to sing along or dance along to your music. Sometimes to stay motivated you need to let out that anxious energy. Let the music you chose, move through you and give yourself a chance to have a musical break when needed.
I hope that these tips help you in creating playlists that help inspire and motivate you always!