Happy New Year 2019
Happy New Year 2019 from all at Classical Guitar Rocks. 2018 saw this sites number double from the previous year – thank you very much for visiting, interacting and downloading the lessons.
New Year 2019 Resolutions Goals.
Set goals, not decide on resolutions! 2019 is going to see this site tackle a monumental task of Villa-Lobos’ 12 Etudes. And seriously this will not happen with out me setting goals, and then breaking them down into smaller steps to walk over and reach. (See #villalobos12in12 if you are not sure what the hell I am talking about!)
So with that in mind this post is going to give you some advice for achieving the same thing in your practice.
New Year Goals
- Write the down
Decide on some goals, not many 2 – 4, and write them down! (The most important step there: write them down!) Writing goals down drives the action and motivation! So take a moment now and jot down some ideas. They can be anything, here is a pic of my “paper wall” of goals. As you can see I have very clear ideas and some fuzzy ones too.
- Break into small achievable steps
Once you have decided pick 3 -4 that you really, really want to achieve. Pick the first one: consider you have achieved the goal; what did you do to get there? Step backwards now from your goal and mark down all the steps you (think) you have taken to achieve it. Now they can be clear steps, such as learn 5 bars a day, or practice scales for 3 minutes a day. Or they could be week one: first page, week 2 second page. It doesn’t matter. Each one of those longer steps can then be broken down into smaller steps.
And because you started backwards form the goal…
- Start at step 1
It might seem obvious but beginning at a small first step is crucial! You wont feel overwhelmed, and you will have smaller goals that, once achieved will help propel you through to the goal. Starting at step 1 gives you a clear path to nailing the goal.
New Year New Structure
So along with setting goals, you need to structure your time in order for you to achieve them! Do you practice in a structured manner? Below is a chart I give out to all new students. It has no defined time scales on it as everyone has a different lengths available to them. But as a rule of thumb: 20 minute slots!
My New Year 2019 Schedule
Below is my current practice schedule, each one of the boxes represents about 20 minutes of time.
I only have 2 1/2 hours a day to complete this, and honestly some days don’t get it complete. But I try to. I work right to left, as you read across lines, with about 2-5 minutes break between each section. I get up stretch, do some yoga, and then carry on.
However…
This is not for everybody, I have given it to you as an example of what to do. I have also included a blank sheet for you to compose your own schedule. Get the free download below.
The practice is structured to give an all round practice routine which:
- Warms you up
- Practices technique
- Learn new things
- Practices music
The best advice I can give you, especially when it comes to learning new music or new technique is:
Do the NEW tough stuff first, after your warm up
Mentally you will be better prepared to tackle new techniques or challenges with a fresh brain. The older material won’t take up so much brain power to execute. so use that to structure what you do, and how you do it.
Coda
Hopefully this post has helped you get a clear picture on how you set goals, and then structure your time to achieve them. I wish you a very prosperous and fruitful 2019.
