Most artists won’t admit it, but they are afraid of success. They want the trappings of success; the money and all. But success means a lot of work… and following up the initial success with more success. It can be stressful just thinking about it.

I’ve seen people sabotage their careers. I’ll bet you have too. If you could get them to be honest with themselves they’d tell you it was fear that made them do it.

So, what is the answer? For me it's breaking it down into easily manageable parts.

I can get overwhelmed starting a big recording project. I have to plan ahead and block the overall project into its parts. As I knock those parts down, it starts to gain momentum. I get busy doing the little things and before I know it, the project that was so big is almost done.

Think of your career the same way. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you don’t like booking, get someone who does. If you are not great with planning, find someone who is. If you have a few good people around you, then you can focus on the writing and preforming part. And isn’t that what you got into this for?

Every successful performer has a team, so that they can do what they do best. Find yours.

Another thing that comes up is that some people don’t think they deserve success. The truth is that you don’t. No one does. And no one owes you anything. But, if you have talent and do the right things, and if you’re lucky, success can happen.

Decide what you want to make per year. Divide that by 52. This is how much you will need to make each week to reach your goal. What is the one thing you can do right now to move yourself closer to that goal? When you've accomplished that, what's the next one? Each small, manageable step will bring you closer to the life you want, and ease your fear.

See. Small, manageable steps.