🧩 Are Some of the Puzzle Pieces Missing?

Goals are fascinating, aren’t they?

Every January we set them with excitement and intention. And then one of two things usually happens:

1. a) We feel discouraged when progress doesn’t happen quickly
   b) We quietly forget about them by March.

Sound familiar?

For singers — especially teenagers and young adults navigating school, friendships, auditions, performances, and life — goals can feel even more complicated. Because artistic goals aren’t like “eat healthier” or “work out three times a week.” They aren’t tidy checkboxes.

Artistic goals live inside you.

They are intertwined with your body, your breath, your emotions, your courage, your vulnerability. When you set a goal as a singer, you’re not just trying to accomplish something — you’re trying to become something.

And here’s the truth:

Singing is not a destination.

There is no magical moment where you arrive and say, “Perfect. I’ve learned everything there is to know about my voice.” Your voice is alive. It grows as you grow. It shifts as you mature. It deepens as your experiences deepen.

The singer’s journey is an evolution.

And that’s why your goals can sometimes feel incomplete — like something is missing.

The Puzzle of Becoming

I want you to imagine your artistic journey as a puzzle.

Not the kind with 20 large pieces you finish in an hour — but the beautiful, intricate kind. The kind that takes time. The kind where the picture slowly emerges as you stay with it.

When you dump out the pieces at the beginning, it can feel overwhelming. Where do you even start? What does the full picture look like? Why does everyone else seem further ahead?

But here’s the secret:

You don’t build a puzzle by staring at the box.

You build it one piece at a time.

Your growth as a singer works the same way.

Each puzzle piece is a milestone:

• A breakthrough moment in a lesson when resonance finally clicks.
  
  
• Learning to sustain a long phrase with supported breath.
  
  
• Mastering a tricky rhythm.
  
  
• Practicing consistently for a full week (even when you didn’t feel like it).
  
  
• Singing at a festival.
  
  
• Performing in a recital.
  
  
• Walking into an audition and owning the room — regardless of the outcome.

These are not small things.

They are the pieces.

Why the Big Goals Sometimes Feel Out of Reach

Many young singers set goals like:

• “I want to be amazing.”
  
  
• “I want to get the lead.”
  
  
• “I want to sound like _____.”
  
  
• “I want to be confident.”
  
  

Beautiful intentions. But they are enormous puzzle pictures.

When the goal is too broad, it’s hard to know which piece to pick up first. That’s when discouragement sneaks in.

Instead, try this:

Ask yourself, What is one piece I can focus on right now?

Not the entire picture.

Just the next piece.

Maybe it’s:

• Strengthening your head voice.
  
  
• Building stamina.
  
  
• Memorizing music more efficiently.
  
  
• Developing emotional connection to your lyrics.
  
  
• Practicing 15 focused minutes a day.
  
  

Specific. Tangible. Actionable.

When you focus on one piece with intention and consistency, something powerful happens: confidence grows. And confidence makes the next piece easier to find.

The Picture Will Change — And That’s Okay

Here’s something else no one talks about:

Sometimes, as you build the puzzle, the picture changes.

You discover a new genre you love.
Your voice matures.
Your interests shift.
Your definition of “success” evolves.

That doesn’t mean you failed.

It means you are growing.

Flexibility is part of artistry. So is patience. So is trusting that not seeing the whole picture yet doesn’t mean it isn’t forming.

💛 So Here’s My Invitation to You

When setting your artistic goals:

• Be specific.
• Think in milestones — puzzle pieces.
• Choose one piece at a time.
• Celebrate small wins.
• Stay consistent.
• Be patient with your evolving voice and your evolving self.

With effort, intention, flexibility, and quality time, the image will slowly reveal itself.

And there should be joy in it. Curiosity. Excitement when a piece clicks into place.

Because the goal isn’t just the finished picture.

The goal is who you are BECOMING as you build it. 

Keep singing,
xo Andrea “just over here puzzling” Donais