💡✍️ADN #128: How to Stay Consistent in an Inconsistent Industry

artintoincome artist development artist development newsletter artist development tips consistency music music business music industry productivity Apr 27, 2025

The music industry can feel like the Wild West.

Some days you’re a genius.
Some days you’re a ghost.
Some days, you’re signing autographs.
Some days, you’re signing up for a new side hustle.

This is normal.

If you want to survive (and better yet, win), you can’t build your foundation on outcomes you don’t control, like streams, followers, or whether Spotify’s playlist god decides they like your song.

You have to build your career like a stubborn weed growing through concrete:

One crack at a time.
One inch at a time.
One habit at a time.

Here’s how:

1. Set Habits, Not Hopes

Don’t set goals like “blow up this year.”
Set habits like:

Write 4 songs a month.
Post 2–3 pieces of content a week.
Play 10 shows this quarter, no matter the crowd size.
Send 3 new emails a week to people who can help your journey.

Your habits are the only scoreboard that matters.
Everything else is noise.

2. Measure Inputs, Not Just Outputs

Everyone wants the output: more fans, more money, more Spotify streams.

But outputs are lagging indicators. They show up after you put in the work for months or years.

What you should track:

Songs written — not just songs released.
Pitches sent — not just deals closed.
Connections made — not just gigs booked.

When you track inputs, you’re always winning.
Because you’re always in motion.

3. Focus on a “Minimum Viable Week”

The goal isn’t to be perfect. The goal is to stay in the game.

Design a minimum viable week — the simplest, smallest version of weekly action that keeps the engine running:

Write for 1 hour.
Post 1 piece of content.
Network with 1 person.
Practice your craft for 2 focused sessions.

If you do more? Great.
If life punches you in the face? You still moved forward.

Consistency doesn’t come from being a superhero.
It comes from refusing to disappear.

4. Build a Private Scorecard

Public validation feels good.
But private validation builds careers.

Every Sunday (or pick your day), check in:

Did I honor my habits this week?
Did I push one inch forward?
Did I show up even when I didn’t feel like it?

If the answer is “yes” more weeks than “no,” then you’re winning bigger than you realize.

5. Play the Infinite Game

Most people play the short game — chasing the next viral moment, the next co-sign, the next dopamine spike.

The short game burns out 99%.

The winners? They see the whole board.
They’re not chasing a “moment.” They’re building their world.

So the next time you feel discouraged?
Remember: Your job is not to go viral today.
Your job is to still be standing a decade from now, with a catalog and a community that can’t be ignored.

That’s the real flex.

Quick Recap:

Set habits you control.
Track inputs you can repeat.
Design a minimum viable week.
Validate yourself privately.
Play the infinite game.

Progress isn’t some magical feeling that shows up when the world claps for you.
Progress is a lifestyle.