When it comes to gigs, do you suffer from the "yes to everything" mindset?
From 2016 - 2021 I was absolutely terrified of saying "no" to gigs.
I was the true hustling musician, justifying it by telling myself: “this could be the opportunity or connection that skyrockets my career!”
At first, it was great!
But over time, it resulted in overwhelm and chronic anxiety, constantly feeling underprepared for performances, no time for myself, and weekly feelings of regret as I played Pachelbel canon for literally the 653rd time.
So in January of 2022, I developed these 16 questions to stop myself from accepting gigs that would inevitably lead to burnout, overwhelm and regret.
This is for you if you are already established in a gig scene, are feeling overwhelmed with opportunities, and need to start flexing your "no muscle."
RELEVANCY QUESTIONS TO MAKE SURE THIS GIG MATTERS
Is this gig a hell yes?
If it's not a hell yes, it has to be a hell no!
Life has too much potential to be incredible, to be spending it doing the mediocre.
Is this an opportunity I would have gone out of my way to pursue?
If the opportunity wasn't a sure thing, but you sensed potential, how much would you sacrifice to obtain it?
Would you go out of your way and perfect your resume, call all your contacts, cancel already scheduled commitments, etc. to get this gig?
Or, would playing this gig not be worth that effort?
This is an indication of if the gig is a hell yes or a hell no.
How likely is it that this gig will yield future opportunities that advance my career?
Learning, developing new skills, and fostering synergistic relationships is FAR more important than making a quick buck.
Money spends once.
Skills, relationships and knowledge monetize forever.
What am I saying "NO" to?
When you say "yes" to something, you are invariably saying "no" to something else.
That something else could be: building your business or side hustle, fostering meaningful relationships, practicing for your next big performance, self care, etc.
Make sure the opportunity cost of saying "yes" is worth whatever you are saying "no" to.
Is this helping me build relevant skills and / or moving me towards my main career goals?
In order to answer this question, you must have full clarity on what your biggest career goals are.
If you don't have clarity on this, say no to every gig until your main goal is crystal clear.
If you can't answer: "What's most important now?" What's most important now is to figure out what's most important now.
Would I want to be doing this in 3 years time?
If you don't want to be playing this type of gig in 3 years, why are you doing it now?
I used to play a shitload of weddings because it was very lucrative. But as soon as I realized I definitely didn't want to be playing weddings when I was 40, I completely stopped cold turkey.
The longer you continue doing the same shit, the longer you prolong true fulfillment.
If this gig were to happen tomorrow, would I accept it?
Imagine waking up tomorrow to perform the gig. This clarifies whether it's a meaningful endeavor or just a future obligation.
Don't let your future self feel an immense amount of regret because of a poor decision you made today.
ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT QUESTIONS TO DETERMINE IF THE GIG WILL BOOST OR DEPLETE ENERGY
Will playing this gig give me energy or drain energy?
You know the gigs where after you finish playing them, you have more energy then you did before you played the gig?
Those are the only gigs you should be doing.
Gigs that sap your energy not only consume your time during the event, but also negatively affect your overall performance and happiness for the rest of the day.
Will the people I would be playing this gig with boost or deplete energy?
For me, the most important factor when deciding to accept or turn down a gig is the people I'm playing with.
If you play gigs with people who bring you joy, make you laugh, and inspire you to be your best self, no gig is a waste of time.
What’s the repertoire and will playing it boost or deplete energy?
Would you rather play a string quartet that is on your bucket list, or play some new music bullshit that sounds like birds dying for 15 minutes?
No hate on new music, but rep makes an ENORMOUS difference in level of enjoyment.
Don't put yourself in a situation where you have to spend a week learning a garbage piece that requires a ton of effort, for very little pay off.
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS TO ENSURE THE GIG WON'T RESULT IN OVERWHELM
What else is going on this month?
The vital mistake freelancers make is merely looking at the single day the potential gig is on, seeing they are free that day, and then immediately accepting the gig.
Assess your weekly and monthly commitments, and make sure you allocate enough days for rest and pursuing what truly matters.
Is this gig within an [X] min commute from my home?
The worst feeling ever is accepting a gig and then realizing it's 3 hours away from you.
Travel is not only a waste of time and money, but greatly depletes mental and physical energy.
Take this all into account and set a maximum commute time for yourself.
How many minutes of practice / rehearsal time will this gig require?
Musicians think if a gig requires more practice / rehearsal time, it will pay more.
In my experience, it's often gigs where you show up and sightread that are the most lucrative for the amount of time put in.
Make sure to ask for the repertoire and sheet music and estimate how long it will take for you to be adequately prepared for the gig.
Traps that add considerable amount of practice time are:
If you have to learn anything by ear.
If memorization is required.
If you are playing a genre or style of music that you are not currently comfortable playing.
If you have to do improvisation and are not an experienced improvisor.
If you have to learn a new extended technique.
How many minutes of personal administrative time will this gig require?
This is the area that almost all musicians forget to consider when identifying how much prep time a gig will take.
Things to Consider:
If the contractor / employer is organized. If they aren't organized, there will be a ton of emails and phone calls back and forth, the gig will be a headache, and almost always not worth doing.
Time spent answering emails
Time spent filling out forms (w-9s, other payment info, etc)
Time spent editing mandatory materials (resume, bio, headshots, etc.)
Time spent creating and sending contracts.
Time spent figuring out programming (this can be incredibly time consuming)
Time spent preparing for speaking about the piece you will perform.
What time of day is this gig and how will it affect the productivity of the rest of my day?
As productivity expert, Ali Abdaal, says: "An hour before 9 is worth 2 after 5."
I am far more productive in the mornings than in the evenings. Therefore, I put strict boundaries on my mornings and am far more likely to accept gigs that are later in the day.
Define your sacred hours and don't accept gigs that conflict with them.
Does this gig pay at least [$] / hour – including travel, personal practice, administrative work, and dead time?
As legendary entrepreneur, Naval Ravikant says: "Trade money for time, not time for money. You’re going to run out of time first."
This question is basically a combination of all of the above "practical questions" that you can put into a step-by-step process below:
Set your minimum dollar amount for how much one hour of your time is worth.
You probably under-estimated so multiple that number by 1.5.
Add up all the estimated hours that go into preparing for the gig, traveling for the gig, etc.
Determine if the offered pay from hits your minimum hourly dollar amount.
I find it helpful to set an uncomfortably high hourly rate and ruthlessly stick to it, unless the gig checks off most of the other positive variables to consider.
I revisit and raise this hourly rate every 6 - 12 months.
If everyone says 'yes' and you're entirely comfortable asking that amount, it's too low.
You must take full responsibility for your life and career.
If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and unfulfilled, it means you are letting the demands, pressures, and expectations of others dictate how you use your time.
Take the 10 min necessary to answer these questions before accepting any gigs, to ensure you only play the gigs that actually matter.
Let me know your favorite question or anything you would add to the list!!