Guitar-focused self mastery

Hi there,

​

You've been playing for a while and something just isn't clicking for you right now.

 

Being caught between all of the work you've done so far, and all of the results you want to have, can be a deeply unsettling place to be.

The irony of practising more, when you feel uncertain about the "right" actions to take, is that effort you spend practising seems to take you further away from what you dream of one day playing like.
 

More effort should equal more progress, or so we think. But the effort that built the skill you currently have has not served to close the gap between your current abilities and what you believe deep down that you are capable of.

 

I understand this uncertainty because I have experienced every layer of it. Something within you knows you can be great but the practical questions of "what do I do?" and "how do I do it?" going chronically unanswered leaves one feeling like time is slipping by and like you're missing out.

 

We don't want to feel like we’re lazy, so we practice anyway, but the craft which once sparked joy has since become tainted with dread and despair.

Now suppose, for a moment, that you actually did know what to do and how to do it. Do you trust or believe that you would be able to actually handle this newfound power? Or that you would see it through and actually put in the work required to play the way that you want?

 

There's a very real reason beyond "being too busy " (or anything to that effect) why people don't put their all into something, and that is: fear of failure. I don't just mean fear that it won't work out, because if it doesn't you will be in the same place you are now and nothing changes - nothing lost.

 

I mean that if it does work out - if you do achieve success and become the player you dream of becoming - then it hurts a lot more to fall from a high place than it does to fall if you never climbed in the first place.

 

Don't let the fear control your actions - whether it's fear of criticism, failure, or losing that which you worked so hard to achieve.

Do not let fear hold you back.

It's not about becoming bulletproof or immune to failure,

but rather it's about who you become along the journey toward all that you desire.

 

I understand that becoming the player you want to become might seem unattainable right now.

 

For example, you might feel locked up with tension when you play, and are unsure what or how to practice to help alleviate that tension and play more freely.

Or you might feel like no matter what you do, you always hit the same BPM ceiling with your alternate picking.

Or you might have no idea what the next most important thing to focus on would be in order to see the most meaningful progress in your playing.

 

These are all examples of problems one may face on their journey and it's important to know that any journey worth travelling will have challenges that teach you something about yourself and how to grow into a stronger, more resilient and capable individual.

 

The question is not "how can I avoid these challenges" but "am I courageous enough to put myself on the line and face these challenges in service of building something great for myself?"

 

I can't promise it'll be easy

But I can promise it'll be worth it.

Take the first step.

一 Christian