Many of us who have been learning to sing for a number of years will have experienced a practice rut.

Sometimes it feels like most of the year is one long rut with a peek of sunshine every now and then! 

We eventually get to the point where doing the same old warm ups makes us want to go back to bed and guide under the covers.

If we feel as though we're not being challenged vocally with our song choices we of course get a tad bored and lose our motivation.

It's completely normal - it's just what you do about it that counts!

Instead of giving up for a month or two and risking losing some of that muscle memory you've been building up, try one (or all) of these ideas to get you excited about your voice again.

HAVE A FRIEND, SINGER OR TEACHER CHALLENGE YOU WITH A NEW SONG

Sometimes we get comfortable singing a certain genre or style and find it hard to break out of that comfort zone. Why not ask someone else to give you a challenge?

My friend was getting married a few years ago and asked me to learn Beyoncé's "Love on Top" at the ceremony. I told her she was crazy (in the nicest possible way). Non singers, am I right?

The thought of approaching such a mammoth song terrified me, but after 3 months of consistent practice, I finally got it and was so grateful that she'd challenged me to learn it.

ORGANISE A PERFORMANCE TO WORK TOWARDS

It doesn't have to be an official gig at a venue or a concert for hundreds of screaming fans, it could be as simple as performing for friends and family, at an open mic night, at a community event or busking in the city.

Book it into your calendar so that you have a solid date to work towards, choose your repertoire and fine tune those songs before the big day. There's nothing like singing in front of people to get the motivation juices flowing again!

DISCOVER NEW INSPIRATION

• This could be downloading a bunch of new vocal exercises.

• Maybe you find a new artist who has an incredibly unique sound you'd like to test out with your own twist.

• It could be that you buy a book on singing technique, performance or even acting or dancing.

Whatever it is, keep learning. Keep looking out for fresh ways to do things, brand new sounds and anything that revs your engine musically!

The other thing that keeps us playing small or paralysed can be our self belief and perfectionism.

If this is something you're struggling with, perhaps check out my book The Moderately Tortured Artist for strategies to move past these blockages and get you back on track towards being the amazing performer you know you can be!