Breaking Bad Habits
In church, we ask for the Holy Spirit to have His way in us, and to move during the service. But sometimes, I think it’ll take the Holy Spirit’s movement to get some of us to move on the platform at all!
We’re all naturally creatures of habit. We’re programmed for it at an early age. Routines can be good and are very needed in many ways, but bad habits can be formed in those routines, and they can be very hard to break.
I’ve been blessed to work with many artists, musicians and church worship teams over the years - I can inspire people and make great progress in a few hours of rehearsal, but it has to be carried out. That part is no longer up to me.
We can arrange the songs, edit and mix the backing tracks, create lyric videos and other content, hash-out talking points, and work on purposeful movement and communication in rehearsal, but it takes a great deal of intention to carry that onto the stage.
Often, we get onstage and all the hard work from rehearsal goes right out the window because it was never reinforced with intention and repetition. If it’s not a conscious, continual effort to break our bad habits and to replace them with new ones, adrenaline will take over during the show, and we go back to doing what we are familiar with.
Why Habits Form and How to Break Them
Habits form because our brains are constantly looking for ways to save effort. When we repeat an action and get a reward, our brain reinforces that behavior through a process involving a part of our brain called the Basal Ganglia. Over time, these repeated actions become automatic responses, which can be tough to change since we do them without thinking.
Breaking Bad Habits as Performers
As musicians, especially in church settings, we can develop habits that hinder our performance. Serving on the platform every week can be such a great thing! It can also be a place to form some really bad habits. We’re on the same stage and stand in the same spot, remaining in the same bubble of space for the entire duration of worship.
Here’s what some of those bad habits might look like:
Standing Still: Not moving around the stage can make the performance seem static and much less engaging. This doesn’t mean you have to constantly be walking around the stage, but implementing intentional movement with your arms, your hands, your head, and changing the angle where you’re facing can make a huge impact!
Avoiding Eye Contact: Failing to connect with the audience can make your performance feel disconnected, and you won’t get to experience WITH the audience the journey that you’re taking them on. The eyes are the window to the soul. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with people and build those relationships.
Ignoring Feedback: Not listening to constructive criticism can stunt your growth. Be open and willing to hear about areas you can improve on so that you can become better with every performance.
Not Rehearsing: Rehearsing is where all the bad habits end and the good habits begin. You can’t count on changing your habits when you’re on stage in front of people because that is when your brain is using those habits to function! Practicing the implementation of good habits consistently is KEY to creating a more purposeful performance that leaves you feeling accomplished in your skill and proud of how far you’ve made it.
The Process of Breaking Bad Habits
Breaking these habits involves a conscious effort and willingness to step out of your comfort zone. Here’s what it looks like in practice:
Awareness: Acknowledge the habits that need changing. For instance, if you tend to stand still, make a note of it.
Set Goals: Define what you want to achieve, such as moving around the stage more, or making eye contact, in order to replace the bad habit with a productive one.
Practice: Use rehearsals to practice new behaviors. Start small, like taking a few steps during a song, and gradually increase your movement. Consistency is key! Repeat the new behavior continually to reinforce it.
Monitor Progress: Keep track of your progress and celebrate small wins. We love to do show review calls with our clients because it’s a great place to get outside feedback on your progress and to have someone rooting for you as you grow in your craft!
Adapt and Overcome: Be flexible and adapt your strategies as needed. If one approach doesn’t work, try another.
Some of us have roots so deep in comfortable bad habits that I think it’ll take the Holy Spirit’s movement to get some of us to even move on stage at all.
Having roots is good, but instead of blooming where we are planted – continuing to grow, be pruned, and repeat – we can be stuck in the mud and start to rot. We need to nourish ourselves in our performance. However, it’s not a “diet.” It’s a lifestyle.
Putting down roots in a good foundation takes time. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Just take it one step at a time. Being conscious of any potential bad habits and getting in the race is a great place to start. When you have an open mind to experiment and try new things and the willingness to be challenged and pulled out of your comfort zone, the possibilities are endless!
Join our Purpose Subscribers to be notified FIRST about new blog posts, video releases and other exciting performance tips!
Are you ready to build habits that throttle your career forward instead of hinder it? We would love to get to know you and learn about the challenges in your live performances so that you can overcome them all. Schedule a FREE discovery call with us today to get started!