datamusicata

I had an interesting question from an artist in Nashville last week. He wanted to know how you acquired discipline. For me it is an ongoing fight to implement discipline, to employ discipline, to even get it to show up.

When I say I am going to practice, or go to the gym, or do taxes, or whatever, my brain starts looking overtime for any kind of diversion…thirst, head call, phone calls, hunger, cup of coffee, how bout a game of solitaire before I start? Anything to keep me from wandering in the studio and practicing, or sending out the notification for an upcoming date.

And my mind also starts trying to divert me…as tho it’s me and someone else in there. You don’t want to go for that run; you’re depressed; you don’t want to go to the gym; you don’t have to practice again today; you don’t have to write the blog so often…really, it’s amazing. And sometimes I actually get into a dialog, where I am talking back to myself. I shamefully admit this stuff in the hopes that when you too experience this incredible waste of your time and energy, you will know how to combat it.

Here’s what I do when I go for a run or to the gym. I have to get up, right out of the bed, relieve myself, put on my running clothes and then out the door. And the whole time I am doing the above, my mind is giving me reasons why I shouldn’t, can’t, mustn’t, don’t want to…do what I am doing.

You have to ignore those voices in your head. Most of the time they don’t have your best interests at heart. When you make a plan, the way to stick to it is to ignore those voices and to create some kind of schedule for what you are going to do. Don’t listen, and if you must listen, keep doing what you are doing even while the voices are telling you not to. Disregard them. And when they do convince you, as soon as you recognize it, go back to what you were trying to do.

People who work a straight job have a routine imposed on them and it actually makes it easier to impose other routines, like getting up an hour earlier and going for a run, or going to the gym. They already have to have some organization in their lives.

As artists, we don’t have that. We must create our own organization, our own routine, or else our lives get away from us; and the most precious commodity we have, time, is wasted. You can get back your wasteline; your chops; even your memory somewhat (take large doses of lecithin liquid gels); but you can’t get your time back. When it’s gone, it is gone.

So here is what I suggest. Make a list of the things that you must do every day, followed by a list of what you must do each week, followed by each month and then for the year. These are things that you must do. And this needn’t be a long involved list. For instance, gym/jog for health; one hour every day for practicing your instrument; one hour every day for emails, etc. Each week you must, say, call your parents, go to your post box, etc. Each month, you must…whatever. You get the idea. Fill in those things with your own personal commitments.

Then make another list of what you want to do, what you want to have happen, what you want to accomplish. This is your goal list. This is really important. Now integrate them. Allow time first for what you must do, then the things you can do, and finally the things you want to do.

You do need to see where you want to be, what you want to accomplish, and it also helps to put down where you are right now as well. Write that on a separate sheet of paper and then put that one aside to look at once a month or so. You will be able to gauge your progress from that sheet.

Lastly, don’t give yourself so many goals and tasks that it is so daunting that it paralyzes you. Start out with something you know you can accomplish. When you do accomplish it, your discipline self will get some strokes. And that will actually make you want to do it again.

You can’t just be disciplined. You have to become that way, one small task at a time; one small commitment at a time. You can do it. As for me, I haven’t practiced in three days, so I am re-taking charge once again.

It’s all we can do.