One thing I think a lot of us hear when growing up is the saying ‘quality over quantity’, but have you ever maybe considered that perhaps that quality only ever comes if we do a large quantity of whatever it is we’re wanting said quality on? I’ve been focusing my practice a little differently as of late, and rather than focusing on multiple topics within various techniques or things that I know would just be really cool to play, I’ve instead been picking one single thing that I know I’m not to great at (and I mean truly great at - so please be honest with yourself if you try this), and repetively doing it over and over again until my muscle memory completely takes over. Of course I’m aiming for a certain ‘quality’ here, sure, but my main goal is achieving quantity, with my method behind my madness breaking down to be quite simple. By doing whatever it is I’m trying to do multiple times (hundreds, or thousands typically), that the quantity will eventually carve out a ‘quality’ result. Kinda like a chicken or the egg type approach I guess, still - it’s important to experiment or things get stale right? As mentioned above, a healthy critical mindset does need to be employed for this approach, as bad habits unfortunately won’t just disappear. In fact by doing something badly, over and over again you will simply create a well executed bad habit, so be diligent and pay attention, but don’t sweat the petty about perfect results instantly. You that you will notice progress with whatever the exercise is that you’re trying to do, and as long as you’ve made adjustments along the way, then I assure you that the quality will eventually show. And so, with this in mind, here are five steps that I think one may possibly need to take in order to achieve one's goals (whether they are musical or otherwise), and start seeing some quality results. (Should you work at it enough)... No - This doesn’t mean that by simply trying to implement these steps that the results will instantly appear. These are just the quick steps (or simplified versions) that most self help books and/or motivational speakers seem to pin down as effective when put into action. Take your time and remember that Rome wasn't’ built in a day. Enjoy the process and allow yourself a little slack. If you aren't seeing the progress you would hope to quick enough, keep going - the goal is (as mentioned earlier) to let the quantity bring out the quality, as unorthodox as this sounds.
Step 1 - VISUALIZE.
Picture exactly what you want, write it down and put it somewhere you can see it everyday. Step 2 - RESEARCH.
Educate yourself on others who have succeeded in the field you hope to succeed in and research what skills will be needed to achieve similar results. Step 3 - STRATEGISE.
Devise a precise plan (and write it down) as to how you are going to move towards the previously mentioned visualization step. Step 4 - EXECUTE.
Slowly, but consistently put in the work required to complete the tasks already noted on your planned strategy. Part 5 - MAINTAIN.
Sustain consistency once you have achieved the result you wanted by continuing to put action into place which will maintain your original visualization @MusiciansMentorPics
