5 New Year's Resolutions for Singers - and How To Keep Them
Happy New Year! Are you as excited to have 2020 in the rear-view mirror as we are?
We often spend the first week or two of January setting intentions and goals for the coming 12 months and it feels particularly important this year. Whether you call it setting intentions, making resolutions, or creating goals, this is a great time to start building habits to improve your vocal health and singing skills. However, one of the biggest challenges is keeping those resolutions going past February 1st. Below, we have some tips for on successful habit building as well as some suggestions for resolutions to make 2021 your best singing year yet!
How To Keep a Resolution
This biggest issue with resolutions is how hard they are to maintain. At the end of the day, life happens and some resolutions just aren’t meant to be. What seemed like a good idea in January might be unsustainable come August - and that’s ok! But, if you want to maintain your goals we have a few tips.
1. It’s OK to miss a day - or a month - as long as you get back on the horse
One of the quickest ways to break a resolution is to be self-defeating. We often have the mindset of “I’ve already failed therefore I should stop trying altogether.” But when it comes to building a habit, doing it at all is more important than doing it consistently and flawlessly. Be patient with yourself and tell the negative voice in your head to pipe down. Not maintaining a perfect routine isn’t a sign of some personal failing, it’s just part of being human.
2. Set realistic goals
While part of setting a goal is pushing yourself to grow, be reasonable. If you have two kids and a full-time job, planning to learn a song a week might not be sustainable - or maybe it is, just be honest with yourself. It’s ok to be who you are and where you are in life. If you’re the type of person with the time, budget, and will-power to set and reach an ambitious goals like becoming a professional bodybuilder by January 1st, 2022, then by all means go for it. But if you’re too busy or lack the budget to keep up a gym membership, that’s ok too - and you’re not a better or worse person for it.
Setting unachievable goals is just setting yourself up for defeat. We’re not saying don’t stretch yourself, just to do so wisely and in a way that sets you up for success rather than failure. Break big goals into smaller, accomplishable steps over a realistic period of time (i.e.: if you break down “become a pop star” into smaller steps, they still probably need to be spread over several years rather than a couple weeks).
If you do miss your goals, it’s ok! That’s why they’re called goals rather than mandates. It’s nice to achieve them, but it’s alright if you don’t. Rather than feeling like you failed or beating yourself up over it, take some time to look at why you missed your goal and what you can do differently in the future, whether that’s changing your habits or setting more realistic challenges for yourself.
3. Get an accountability buddy
One of the best ways to maintain a new habit is to have someone to hold you accountable. Find a friend - or a voice teacher - to help keep you on track. Check in regularly to update them on your project. If you have a friend who’s also trying to keep a resolution, being accountability buddies for one another can provide a great opportunity to share your challenges, struggles, and successes.
If for whatever reason another person isn’t a good option, explore apps and online communities to fill the role. Set a reminder on your phone or use an app like Moleskine Journey to track habits or create push notifications. A physical planner or journal can be great alternative as well.
Resolutions for Voice Users
Now that you know how to set yourself up for success, what goals will you set in 2021? Here are five daily habits we suggest you add to your list of resolutions to improve your voice this year.
1. Start using a humidifier.
The best thing about this resolution is you probably don’t need to keep it all year.
Colder weather can be hard on your voice, thanks as much to indoor heating as chill outside. Central heating dries blows dry air through your home and can dry out your throat and sinuses. You may notice your nose feels stuffy when your heat is on or that you’re more phlegmy during the winter months. Mucus and inflammation are your body’s natural defenses against friction and dryness, so your throat and sinuses work overtime producing phlegm to try to compensate for the drying heated air you’re breathing all day and night.
Using a warm mist humidifier at night can help keep your sensitive mucus membranes from drying out and improve your vocal health during the day. They’re easy to use and even easier to buy - most drugstores carry an affordable and effective warm mist humidifier for $20 or less. Just be sure to clean your machine regularly and follow the instructions in the manual for safe operation.
2. Start a daily practice routine.
Daily practice is arguably the best way to improve any skill, but one of the hardest routines to stick to. Luckily, we’ve already written a guide to creating and maintaining a daily practice routine. The long and short of that article if you haven’t read it: even 5 to 10 minutes of practice is great. Setting aside an hour a day is impossible for many of us, but taking 10 minutes between activities, while driving to work or the grocery store, or even while sitting on the couch watching TV to run through a couple vocal exercises can give your singing a big boost.
Give yourself grace if you miss a day - or a week! Building a habit is hard and it’s ok to not be perfect, especially when you’re just getting started. Be kind and patient with yourself!
3. Learn a new song a month (or week).
Building a repertoire takes time, especially if you’re not actively working on developing it. Pick a song a month - or week if you’re ambitious - and really learn it. We don’t just mean sing along with it a couple times; we mean memorize it and practice so that you’re truly able to perform it. Focus on the emotional delivery of the lyric and experiment with dynamics throughout the piece. By the time it’s safe to sing on stage again, you’ll have a show-ready repertoire.
4. Add voice-nourishing foods to your diet - and cut out some that do more harm than good.
Diets are a popular but oft abandoned New Year’s resolution. We think subtle changes are more sustainable than dramatic leaps, so we suggest adding a couple throat-nourishing foods to what you’re already eating. Watermelon is great for your throat; it helps improve your systemic hydration without slowing you down.
In contrast, it might be a good time to try cutting out some of the potentially mucus-causing foods we mentioned in our article on throat clearing, particularly if you're struggling with mucus or inflammation. Switch out your soda or lemonade for water or a non-drying herbal tea. Remember to listen to your body - and your doctor - when making changes to your diet!
5. Start taking voice lessons.
It’s always easier to keep up with practice when there’s someone to hold you accountable. It’s also easier to practice when you have a formalized routine to follow. Working with a voice teacher can help you build a personalized routine to improve your singing while also making sure you’re singing safely. A regularly scheduled appointment with another person is often easier to keep than a simple promise to yourself to spend 30 minutes a week practicing for example.
If you want to start lessons this year, you can schedule with Zelda, here.
Make Your Resolution Happen and Schedule Your Lesson Today
Whatever your goals are this year, we hope you reach them and that 2021 is a better, brighter year than the last. If you’re looking for a vocal accountability buddy or want to start voice lessons, you can schedule with Zelda here. Remember, the best resolution you can make is to love your voice - and love yourself. Happy New Year!
Mention this article for a 20% discount on your first lesson.