Discipline is a funny thing. It can feel so hard or so easy.
What does it all come down to?
Why would building a daily habit be so hard?
Speaking from years of experience of trying to figure this out, it’s all a matter of faith: not neccesarily religious faith but belief in yourself, in the world, in cause and effect, and in meaning and purpose.
For far too long, I thought I couldn’t do a damn thing right. Nothing seemed to work as it should and so I assumed putting in the work wouldn’t matter in the end.
Now I realize that I was putting my energy into all the wrong things, things that weren’t meant for me, and forcing what didn’t need to be forced.
I didn’t need to be everything that I thougt I wanted to be, only to pursue that route and enjoy the unfolding of a path I couldn’t have imagined.
I didn’t need to worry about not being able to reach a goal. I needed to learn how to have fun doing the things I said I loved, or to find something else I could love more.
I knew which direction I wanted to go, but it’s impossible to enjoy when you set the stakes so high.
Set the stakes low. Follow the fun. If you want something at the top of the mountain but you don’t feel energy to climb the mountain, look for ways to make the climb feel more fun. And focus less on the final outcome and more on the tiny wins.
The first time I realized that work didn’t have to feel like work and discipline didn’t need to feel like discipline was when I started self studying Japanese. I got through a first year textbook in two months just cause I was fascinated by the idea of communicating through little drawing like characters.
Then I got through the second year textbook in another 2 months. Then I reviewed for two months and entered a third year university class, after just 6 months of study.
I was a little surprised. I didn’t understand why it was taking so long for everuone else to reach the same level of proficiency.
This is where everyone tells me how good I must be at languages as if to make excuses for themselves but I am the same person who studied Spanish for 6 years and can’t make a sentence. I know it’s more about attitude and where your effort is placed more than anything.
I know it’s about refining the fuel source rather than using more fuel.
The main difference between me and them was that I wasn’t worried aboit a test and I couldn’t wait to learn more kanji.
Last summer I went through a similar period of self study and started drilling hard on guitar. I went from not being able to jam to having 3 shows that were 50% jamming. All I did was drill scales for 30 minutes a day, sometimes twice a day, for about a month. Then I practiced jamming every day for the same amount of time.
Easy.
Without the excitement it would have been hard as hell. It probably wouldnhave required 5-10 times the commitment.
Without the belief that I could improve it would have been uphill from start to finish.
Without the focus on practical steps, the results would have been far less impressive.
But when everything on my end was put into place, the rest fell into place.
Now it’s one year later and I am ready to start recording my first studio album after releasing my first live album.
I know I need to focus on my songs but I’ve given myself 3 months to finish recording, which is more than enough so I want to get back to drilling guitar on the side.
Two songs a month.
30 minutes of drills every day.
I can do that. I just need a plan and to excute it.
As for the drills:
Week 1 : review my scales from last year and get my speed up to where it was
Week 2 : practice boring finger exercises at faster and faster speeds
Week 3 : mix finger exercises into scales to increase my finger speed when moving between different note combinations
Week 4 : Same.
Week 5-8: focus on triads
Easy.
It’s easy because I want it bad enough and I know it will work.
Then as for my songs I’ll make a checklist for this month. Two songs a month and these songs are basically finished, with some parts recorded already.
Checklist:
1 Fix the lyrics at the end of song 1
2 memorize lyrics to song 1
3 re-record vocals to song 1
4 backup vocals on song 1
5 bass for song 1
6 bass for song 2
7 backup vocals for song 2
8 djembe for song 2
And if possible
9 get a headstart on songs 3-4
It’s starting to feel like a lot but if I can hit points #1 and 2 in one shot this week, I think 3-4 will take little to no time. Then I will spend 2 weeks on bass. Maybe I can tie the bass lines into my drills to kill two birds with one stone.
In any case I’ll give myself 5 weeks for these because May is almost here and I have a lot going on in May.
You can hear three of the songs I’m working on as well as some of the jams from my live shows on all streaming platforms by searching “Resonance Experiments 1-2” or click here for the Spotify Apple and Youtube links
Trailer for live album!:
A live album APPEARS!