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You want to be a better player. Maybe you want to be able to play faster. You're trying to memorize a bunch of common jam tunes. You want to play with greater passion and more variety. Whatever you're working on, you've probably faced the same obstacles any growing musician deals with. Ever get discouraged? I've been learning to run using interval training. I've had almost zero athletic training my whole life, just about nothing. These legs are underdeveloped for a 35-year-old. Ten years ago, I thought I'd give running a go. I went outside and just started running. I pushed through the pain best I could. I didn't know I was going about it all wrong. After a few days, with major knee pain and serious shin splints, I decided running must not be for me. All this time, I was wrong. About four months ago, I came across something on the internet called interval training. I had heard of it but had no idea what it was. Basically, the first week, you run one minute and walk two-and-a-half minutes. Every week, you increase the time you run and decrease the time you walk. I also learned a bunch of really important tips like how and where the foot should land; what to do with my upper body; how to eat; when to take breaks; the difference between good and bad pain; and a lot of other information most people that are even barely athletic have known for years. So how's it working for me? Well, I turned an 8-week interval training schedule into 16 weeks. I got an inexpensive mp3 player ($30) and downloaded PODRUNNER INTERVALS, a free podcast from iTunes. I've been doing all this with NO knee trouble and almost no shin pain. It's really working and it's teaching me a lot about how our minds and bodies were designed. Here's the deal, whether you're talking about learning to run, learning to play music, or learning how to be more loving and responsible, there's different ways of going about it. I don't know what's right for you, but this is what's working for me. Erasing old bad habits and starting new good habits takes time. Just when you're past your comfort zone, your mind and body is screaming, "STOP, YOU CAN'T DO IT!" If you're going about it with a good method and the right information, you can do it. Your muscles and brain think you're going to die but it's an illusion. The key is to push past the comfort zone. It's like there's a buffer you have to get to that's all about getting a little farther than ever before. A little farther, every week, might be enough. Perhaps, sometimes, you need to make tons of progress in a really short amount of time, but my experience has been different. If I concentrate on real, honest progress, every day, after a few months, I see amazing thing. The progress might not come as fast as you'd like. Sometimes, a lot of the time, it might come at a creap, but it does comes. If you use effective methods and stick with the program, the results will eventually change your whole life. Self-discipline is a gift your give the whole world. All this made me think of how I've got better at music. There's really no difference. A little bit every day or two seems to be the reality for me. Looking for shortcuts and moving in ignorance can really discourage you. "Don't give up; never surrender!" We can do this. Old dogs can learn new tricks. You can change your stripes. The fruit will be the proof. You're not exactly who you think you are. You're more. I think we were all made to be much more effective than we realize. Go get it! |
