Well, it’s been a good while since I posted an entry. I miss writing these blogs. The reason for the hiatus is that I’ve been in the midst of a life transition. I’ve gone back to school. It’s been 17 years since my last experience with graduate studies, and I’m back in the saddle again. I have a few weeks left in this first semester. Before I begin my studies this morning, I thought I’d write. I’m not sure what I will write, but I miss writing these. So, I will just see where my thoughts and my keystrokes take me.
I suppose I can start with where I was 4 or 5 months ago before making this life change that I can honestly say I wasn’t 100% certain about when I made it. Part of my uncertainty came about because of my own personal need to constantly be productive. The summer before school started I was very uncomfortable because I wasn't being productive - productive meaning doing something that produced income. I thought I was going to pull my hair out with anxiety because I wanted so much to be productive or at least working towards some meaningful goal. But, knowing that in a matter of weeks I would be starting something new - school - that would consume all of my time, it didn't seem realistic for me to begin a new project in addition to my job search efforts. Nonetheless, I started taking piano lessons.
I actually already knew how to play. Since I haven’t practiced regularly in years, however, my playing reflects my lack of practice. Taking the lessons actually forced me to establish a regular practice schedule which proved to be very effective. Unfortunately, there was no specific performance goal, so as I imagined, as soon as school started, my attention to the piano suffered.
So, today… where is my piano in my list of priorities? It is actually very low. Did I benefit from taking the lessons? Absolutely! I (re)learned some basic concepts that either I never knew or had simply forgotten about. But, even if only in a small way, it helped my playing. Was that productive time? Not how I would have originally measured it as I didn’t transform my playing into that of a virtuoso (symbolic of lofty yet unrealistic goals I set for myself in many areas of my life) so that I can play anything or even that I played well enough to find a small church for which to play. On the other hand, I did take a small step in moving towards my rather lofty goal – smile. If I’m ever able to make piano and playing a priority, I will be one step closer to my goal compared to where I would have been if I had not spent the time over the summer.
So what does this have to do with getting to my destiny? Well, that experience showed me that a goal is really best served when you break it up in small, bite sized pieces. A side note: a girlfriend recently posted a Facebook status that she was instructing her kids to clean out the refrigerator in 15min intervals. They had to work for 15mins and then rest for an hour. I jokingly commented that it should be the other way around… work an hour and rest 15mins… that she was too lenient with her kids. She responded that attaching a goal in bite sized chunks is a lot more manageable that trying to get them to tackle it all at once. While I probably still disagree with the time allocation, I do agree with her principle. And, looking back at my summer piano lessons, I may have only moved an inch this summer, but I moved.
For me - the goal oriented person who has difficulty being unproductive - that is powerful and rewarding and encouraging and valuable. Playing may never be something that I am an expert at - which is often my goal. So, as I continue to move forward with my playing, accepting improvement in small sized chunks is progress. If playing were more of a priority in my life, then I would probably make different choices about how much time to devote to it even now. Nonetheless, as I move towards my destiny, which is continues to take shape in my mind, I keep all of this in mind. Each thing I spend time doing, however little or much, helps get me closer to my destiny.
My strategy these days is to take life one day and really one moment at a time. I try to make sure I spend time doing something each day that’s getting me closer to my goals and to my destiny. Why don't you join me! Spend time doing something each day that gets you closer to your goal. It may seem like it will take you forever, but you'll look back and see just how much road you've traveled and realize you've been enjoying the ride!
