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Practice Thoughts | Don't Move the Goal Post (Patreon)

Published:
2023-01-16 17:00:02
Imported:
2024-05
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Hi Everyone,
In this Practice Thought, we'll discuss the idea of moving the goalpost. This is a common problem: we set a goal, and then if we reach it, we say "well that doesn't count because it was too easy" and then we set a goal farther away, and then if it's not too difficult it doesn't count again.

Sometimes this feedback loop can happen almost instantaneously to the point where someone can't even sit down to practice because it doesn't count unless it's the most intense, mind-blowing practice.

The way to counteract this is to enjoy and focus on small goals - maybe even keep a journal of small goals that you've set and reached.

I see people getting discouraged because they are not as good as they think they ought to be. Journaling practice is a good way to counteract that. Always set one small goal at a time and don't worry about how easy it ought to be or how long it ought to take you. Progress is progress and each small step adds up to quite a distance over time.

Always set your goals in a realistic, achievable place and don't move them once you get started.

Check out the Lesson Archive for more Practice Thoughts 

Other helpful links:
Scott's Recommended Lesson Plan
Searchable Lesson Archive
How to Join the Community Forum
Scott's Jam Tracks
Scott's Main YouTube Channel

Comments

Mark van Beekum

I joined your Patreon a year ago. In retrospect I had unrealistic goals. Forced my self to play at least an hour a day, often ended up doing a lot more than that. I felt bad when I didn't get the practice in. Having this feeling actually made me dread my guitar at one point. This resulted in something that I can only describe as a burn-out. I think I cancelled my subscription one month after. Now I'm back with fresh motivation and lessons learned. I'm glad I stumbled upon this video because for me it's confirmation of what I found out myself the hard way, and I think you should absolutely consider the option to have this video, or a similar video on this topic as an opening/introduction to your course. If I would have kept playing only 10-15 minutes a day the past year, I don't even want to think about how much further I could have been in my guitar journey. Hindsight and all that. Bycatch is that you probably have people sticking around longer too, I can imagine. Bottom line is that it's not a sprint, but it's not exactly a marathon either. It's a relaxing stroll where you have fun and pick up some cool skills purely as a bonus.

Scott Paul Johnson
>>117936273

Wow - thanks for commenting. Yes - learning guitar is a lifestyle, or A practice, like practicing a religion or meditation or medicine - it's a lifelong learning process. Settling in is good, ALSO, absolutely make sure you're setting YOUR OWN goals and practicing toward things you're ACTUALLY excited about. It's so easy to get caught up in a competitive push to be the best at everything - it stops being fun REALLY quickly. Maybe I'll try to emphasize that my practice thoughts are all about musician lifestyle and though process.

stevie walters

This is useful and timely. I just made my daily practice much more structured this week with small achievable goals. @scott I took your advice to split practice into two sections. Meditative and Disciplined this week. What a difference to my daily practice already. Thank-you!