I’m writing this on January 20th, so I have in mind the many people — I might be one of them — who resolved to practice more in the new year.
Well, life comes at you fast, and it’s easy to look up and realize that days have gone by without doing the things you promised yourself you would. Here are some thoughts on how to get back on track with your guitar practicing goals:
- Don’t punish yourself or play catch up.
Any new endeavor is going to have some hiccups. Unless there is a compelling reason to stress yourself out making up for days missed, you’re better off just picking up where you left off and continuing at a reasonable pace. If your new habit didn’t stick, you probably need to make it easier to stick to — not harder — which leads us to point number two… - Pick something modest to work on.
Change does not come easily. In my experience, the best way to change something or adopt a new habit is to start so small, it is easy to be consistent. Once a pattern or habit is established, you can take on a little more. Start with two minutes of practice. You can always practice more if you want to, but make it easy to pick up that guitar when you’re short on time. - Find a way to enjoy it.
Choose to work on an aspect of your playing that you are really excited about. Don’t make the mistake of practicing something simply because you think it’s what you’re supposed to do. At least that is how it should be at first. If you stick with it, there may be times when you need to practice even though you don’t feel like it. That should be the exception though. - Link your practice to something else you do regularly (or develop a routine).
Often, the most difficult thing to do is just pick up the guitar. For most people there are so many other commitments and activities in a given day, just starting to practice can be difficult. It can help to associate your practice habit with something else that you do regularly, such as brushing your teeth, watching your favorite TV show, getting the kids put to bed, or exercising. You can be creative here. In my experience, and in that of many of the best musicians I’ve known, having a routine is the single most powerful strategy for growth.
You may be detecting a theme here: make it as easy as possible on yourself to succeed. When we set grandiose goals for ourselves, we often set ourselves up for discouragement. This often leads to giving up on our goal altogether.
Of course, your mileage may vary with these strategies; perhaps you’re more of a “go-getter” type than I am, and what really makes you shine is an impossible challenge. I’m not knocking that. If it works for you, have at it! The key is to know yourself and what actually gets results for you.
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Wes Freeman is private guitar lesson teacher in the Atlanta metro area of Georgia. He teaches lessons primarily in the cities of Lilburn, Snellville, Marietta, Decatur, and Brookhaven. Learn more about taking lessons with Wes on his Lessons page.
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