Making Excellence A Habit

Happy New Year!

As 2019 nears, many people think about habits they want to change or stop. But how about habits that we would like to begin? If you're looking to grow musically, it's important to remember that becoming a great musician is a journey that starts with building strong daily habits.

Our goals might be many at the start of a new year. Maybe you'd like to spend less time on social media, or make a point to have family dinner together at least once a week. Perhaps you'd like to start learning how to play an instrument or practice more.

Since we consider the new year as a new start, it's important to set ourselves up for success, making our continued growth a habit and not a destination. How can we do this?

If you've got a big goal like "Learn to play piano" or "Practice music 30 minutes every day," it makes sense to mentally prepare for this. How differently will you structure your day to make time for the new habits you want to start? When will you do these new activities so that it's non-negotiable and just a part of your daily routine? What will the financial obligations look like? If you need to purchase an instrument, where will you put it? Who will you take music lessons from? How will you hold yourself accountable and reward yourself for achieving your goals?

Once you've thought this through, start small! If your goal is to practice guitar for 30 minutes a day, 7 days a week, maybe you start with practicing 15 minutes a day 5 days a week. Write your practice down so you don't forget and you can watch your progress!

Once that's a habit, the ball is rolling! Now it gets really fun. Bump to 20 minutes a day, or 25 minutes a day, 6 days a week. Once you've done that for a month or so, reaching your goal will just be the next logical step and will feel both like a great accomplishment and a part of your daily life. Establish a habit like this and you'll feel odd if you don't do it!

You may set series of goals for yourself along the way. Maybe "Learn Moonlight Sonata by September 1" is a goal that will help you keep your focus on your piano practice in February. Once September 1 rolls around and you've reached your goal, don't forget to reward yourself!

Since January is right around the corner, it's a perfect time to start guitar or piano lessons. Start your new year right, and establish a routine of musical excellence into 2019. Contact us today to set up your first free lesson!