Sometimes it seems like you have to practice 24/7 to get good at guitar but
if you're anything like me sometimes you just don't feel motivated to practice. I
want to share with you some of the things that really helped me over the
years. Now this list is by no means exclusive in fact I'd really like to
have you share in the comments some of your ideas and maybe some things that
help you to stay motivated and to share it with the community as well but this
is what I have for you right now. It's the best of what I've come up with. My
#1 one has been to create short-term goals for myself. Now I'm not talking big
lofty goals. I'm talking things that you can accomplish within a few weeks at
most maybe 30 days. So I think to myself I want to make it specific, measurable
and then a specific period of time, I'll say time-bounded. For example, I might
want to set a goal of having this exercise up to a certain speed I'll pick
a particular exercise. Now I'm going to measure it by using a metronome so I'll
start and see where I'm at. I'll create a chart so that for a period of two weeks
I'm starting here and I want to get to here. Now I'll track my progress on the
chart a little bit each day that makes it fun. I'm motivated to see if I can
push it past a chart. It doesn't always work but if I didn't get it one day I know the
next day I'll probably get it back to where it was or a little beyond. It's fun.
It motivates me. Another example is I set a goal of
uploading a certain song or exercise to YouTube so I'll get myself three weeks
let's say and then I'll want to practice because I know in the weeks come
I'll give it my best shot. Again that motivates me to sit down and
spend time at it. One of my yearly goals is also the 30-day challenge. What I do
is I put up a little chart on my wall and for 30 days I make sure I practice
every single day for 30 days. So the fun for me even if I practice for 10 15
minutes it's to check off that day that I did it. And the thing is I set myself a
rule that if I don't complete three days I have to start over. I don't want to
start over so I usually complete the 30 days. At the
end of the 30 days not only have I gotten better at guitar but I've got
this habit of practicing that makes it easier to get into it. Those are just
some ideas. I'm you can come up with a bunch more and I
look forward to seeing them. Number 2 is I make a schedule to practice and I
set amount of time I'm gonna do as a minimum usually sure like 10 15 minutes.
Doing that make sure I have scheduled in time to practice. I have a busy schedule
but it's a little bit tricky because I know if I can get 10 minutes in I'm
probably gonna do a little bit more but if I think " Oh I've got to do an hour I
keep pushing it around and you often don't get to it. So 10 minutes works for
me because it often turns into 20 minutes, 30 minutes sometimes even an
hour or so and it's fun I get into something. I find something I didn't
think of. Number 3 try something new that might be a new song for you or a
new exercise. What I like to do is add something new every week to my practice
routine just to keep things fresh and alive. One of the things that I find fun
is to make a short jam track using just a couple chords and then for that week
improvise with it. Learn a scale or a few licks and just play around with it.
Sometimes I'll just pick out notes by ear and see what sounds good. Then the
next week I'll start again. I'll make a new jam track with just two chords
usually. Number 4 is take some lessons. They could be private lessons with a
teacher. Maybe you learn some new techniques or if you're in the beginning
stages get some structure. And I highly recommend an online program something
step-by-step so that you know exactly what to build on. It's motivating to know
that what you're working on leads to something else and to something
else. When you don't have lessons sometime it's hard to see where
something's going. And number 5 watch an inspirational movie. Now I'm
kind of sentimental. It doesn't take too much to get me inspired that way. One of
the movies that I can inspired me was Bohemian Rhapsody. It just somehow seeing
the guitar players and and where they started and where they went to make me
feel like I want to keep doing it. Now I'll put a caution there too when you
just watch other guitar players there is that risk of getting a little
overwhelmed and feeling like you can never get anywhere close to that. But you
know that's part of learning in their skill. You have to deal with feelings of
inadequacy - inadequacy - that's a complicated word. Anyway learn to just
let it go and move on. I've heard the movie Crossroads is an inspirational
movie. I don't watch it yet but I put it on my list to get to it.
I think I might watch part of it tonight. And I'd love to hear from you, some
movies that you found inspirational. What I'm looking for things that people have
overcome obstacles or they kept going in spite of difficulties or they
just done something really good they're excellent and that tends to inspire me
also. Now some final words of wisdom and I know this might sound a little bit
counterintuitive but it comes from years of experience. There is no way you're
gonna get out of the ups and downs of learning something new and with that
comes feelings of"Wow! I just don't feel like doing it anymore". This is normal. And
in my earlier years I thought something was wrong with me. I even criticized
myself. I can tell you that doesn't help in fact I want to encourage you to just
experience the highs and lows of your guitar-playing journey and don't let it
get you into a guilt mode or feeling like you shouldn't feel that way . In fact
there are times to take time off take a break sometimes that means just go for a
10-15 minute walk and then come back at it. Sometimes it means taking several
days off. Now I know that might sound like it's going against what I've
already told you but it's not. I'm talking to strategically take a break
once in a while not every other day or something like that.
Doing this combined with a regular practice routine and setting some
short-term goals can be just the thing to give you a boost. And if you come back
at it invigorated, you'll be a better guitar player for it
and the world will be a better place. Well that's it for me today just
watching this video ,you've taken another step in your guitar playing journey and
I congratulate you. Good job. And thanks for being a part of my community. Please
share any ideas or any things that you've found to be helpful to keep you
motivated and especially let me know any good motivational movie that both I and
the community can use to help us keep us going. Bye for now.