Accept that there will always be distractions. In fact, expect them and be prepared. Know what your priorties are. If you keep allowing yourself to be distracted, you won’t progress and therefore become discouraged. Keeping a little notebook besideyou while practising is useful for writing down distracting thoughts. You can always deal with them later.
onsider letting go of things and people who are making your practise time difficult. Instead bring in things and people who enrich your musical expression. Perhaps invite someone over to listen to you play, or play for them. Enjoy and cuppa in your favourite beautiful cup and saucer – high tea? Play happy birthday to them on the day?
Include listening to beautiful music as part of your practise. Exploring the vast amounts of music available to you is such an inspiring thing to do. What music and genres do or don’t you enjoy? Have you discovered Spotify.com?
Go for a ‘run’ on your instrument. Improvise and ‘strut your stuff’. Have fun with it. It’s not about only pushing yourself. Play for the enjoyment of it.
Play in a place you love or bring in things you love to your practise. I take myself to the beach to play sometimes. Other times I have my favourite book about Paris beside me and pretend I’m there.
Before you begin, smile at the music for a minute. It’s magical!
Compliment someone else’s playing. Acknowledge what you admire about them or their music.
Write down everything negative you think about your instrument, your playing, your music, your ability and burn it. Yes burn it! (Safely of course)
Watch an uplifting movie about a creative person who inspires you. Develop your library of possibilites in your video collection for when you need inspiration. Then it will feel like they are there all the time, backing you to succeed.
Believe in yourself. Be your own best friend. Become good at acknowledging what you are doing well, and what you could improve. Believe you will achieve your dream. Every day affirm it, visualize it and feel it as if it’s already happening.
