TAG: perfectionism

Creative Success Now: Overcome the Creativity Killers

It has been a busy summer for me! I finished up my book, Creative Success Now, which will be published in a few weeks.  I traveled, did some fun guest teaching and performed at my annual piano retreat in California,  pianoSonoma. It was here that I learned a valuable lesson in what to do when your creative pursuits butt heads with …

Top 10 Tips Time Management Tips for Music Entrepreneurs

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This year, one of my biggest discoveries was Quadrant 2 time management, the strategy that has you focusing on what is really important to you as opposed to what is urgent, and realigning your time to honor and commit to Quadrant 2 activities each week (for more on this, see tips 2 and 3 below). Q2 time management is helping …

“Be good” vs. “Get Better”: Optimizing the Experience of Performing

I have just returned from my summer vacation in California wine country where I learned some valuable lessons about optimal goal setting while improving my piano skills!

Where did all this happen?

At pianoSonoma, a festival that brings together serious adult piano students to study with Juilliard faculty members Michael Shinn and Jessica Chow Shinn, and collaborate and perform chamber music with Young Artists ( current students at or recent graduates of Juilliard), as well attend concerts by the faculty and the Young Artists.  It is a thrilling week where I can indulge in my passion for learning and playing the piano and share the joy of making music with superbly talented musicians.

On the plane ride out to California, I had a chance to catch up on my Kindle backlog and settled into a short book called “9 Things Successful People Do Differently” by psychologist  and goal-setting expert Heidi Grant Halvorson.  Now success is what I teach, coach on and advocate so I was interested in her 9 points.  And the one that resonated most powerfully with me was point #5:

Focus On Getting Better, Rather Than Being Good

What does she mean?

How to Spot Your Strengths: A Music Entrepreneur’s First Step in Identifying What Makes You Unique

The start of the academic year is a great time to reflect on strengths since it is my belief that knowing and developing your strengths is one of the basic elements of creating success.

Moreover, for musicians, knowing your strengths is key to creating your brand—the message that sets you apart from others—as well as a beacon of light when your confidence is flagging and you need a boost to remember what your talents really are.

How do you spot strengths?

Listening: An Essential Communication Skill for Musicians

I have been attending a lot of chamber music concerts lately and have been observing how important it is for musicians to listen to each other as they perform.  The better the members of an ensemble are able to listen and communicate effectively to each other, the better the performance.  This has gotten me thinking about ways that musicians can …

Celebrate Your Achievements and Get Over Your Perfectionism

Many high-achievers reach their goals, only to move on to the next one without pausing to reflect on their accomplishments.  Then they wonder why they do not derive satisfaction from their achievements. Often, the reason stems from perfectionism and the voice of your inner critic.Celebrate Your Achievements and Get Over Your Perfectionism

Just Say No: Setting Boundaries so that You Can Say YES to Yourself

One of the biggest reasons that we do not have time for ourselves is that we say yes to other people and take on commitments that we really do not enjoy.  Often, it stems from a place of not wanting to disappoint these other people. Learn how to set healthy boundaries and say no to others so that you are saying YES to yourself.

Meet Astrid Baumgardner: My authentic self and perfectionism

I discovered coaching after a traumatic life experience—a sudden and nearly fatal illness— that altered my concept of a fulfilling life. After several surgeries and a month in the hospital, I could barely walk or talk. Yet something inside me knew that I was going to be okay. With an unfailing sense of the positive, a lot of hard work and determination, together with incredible support from family and friends, I regained my health. I realized that I had been given the opportunity to create the life that I always wanted. This led me to discover that I had a mission to inspire and empower others to find and live their authentic selves and I have been coaching ever since.