Subject: why SOME master guitar & others don’t
I know how frustrating it can be when you dedicate your time and effort into learning to master guitar, but the results just don’t seem to show.
Have you ever tried learning something new & challenging, only to “give up” on it half way through?
On the other hand, have you ever tried learning something, and stuck with it til it really clicked… even when there were setbacks and bumps along the way?
If so, did you ever think about why you stick with something even when it’s difficult?
It might be because you consciously (or sub-consciously) know your big “why”.
You see, finding your big “why” (a.k.a. your biggest motivating factor) is the key to pushing through setbacks in the journey to mastery — whether it’s mastering guitar or any other skill.
If you don’t know your “why” when playing guitar, then practicing might feel like a chore. It may be frustrating. You may look at your guitar and think, “Well, I guess I have to practice.”
But if you DO know your “why”, the wind is in your sails… and instead, when you pass your guitar, you think, “Heck yeah! I get to play right now.”
THAT’S the critical difference between someone who masters guitar and someone who doesn’t.
But there’s not a one-size-fits-all “why”…
Some people really want to play on stage in front of a crowd. That’s their “why”.
Others want to impress a crush or loved one. That’s their “why”.
And others just love the challenge and focus it takes. That’s their “why”.
The cool thing is, your “why” can change over time too.
For example, Dwight (a member of our Breakthrough Guitar Supergroup) recently posted about how he played to impress everyone else when he was young (his “why” at the time).
But now, at 62, he plays to challenge himself. And THAT’S his strongest motivation factor at this point in his life.
But imagine if his true “why” was challenging himself… but he thought it was impressing others.
Guitar might then feel like a chore. And that’s never good.
It was because he found this deeper understanding of his “why” that he’s still pushing through and becoming a master.
So if you ever feel like playing is becoming something you have to do…
Instead of something you get to do…
Maybe your “why” is out of focus.
And thinking a little bit about what’s really motivating you might be the key to having the journey be fun and exciting again! (And as Dwight says, then you can “keep this party going”.)
