My OperaJust get it done
Thursday, January 21, 2010 12:51:28 PM
Just get it done!
Have you ever heard of the word 'procrastination'? Now I'm not saying this to insult your intelligence (because truth be told, that word isn't really used in our everyday language).....but, it should be. Procrastination is when you unnecessarily 'put off' doing a task. When we procrastinate, we often avoid doing the task by either being lazy, or doing other apparently 'fun' or 'interesting' things. For example, I know I needed to write this article, but I kept putting it off... instead doing other interesting or 'fun' tasks. So what does this have to do with inspiring? Well, a lot. Actually, it has a great deal to do with your everyday life - in all the ventures you consider to be important to you. Many of us have what I call 'a serious hobby'. This is where it's much more than a normal hobby. It's where we seek to learn and better ourselves at a certain skill either for business or for pleasure.
Some people play golf, some love football, some love to learn how to fly airplanes, some like to socialize others how to learn a few more skill (I think I fall in that bracket!)....some play an instrument, and of course some of us love to learn and do songwriting. But it's not always that easy, is it? After a hard days work, after doing all the boring mundane tasks that life asks of you, maybe we just can't be bothered. Well, I know this feeling all too well and I have started to practice a couple of things that have really helped me in my quest to do what I love doing the most - songwriting. For some it will be something else, like playing golf, learning the piano, etc. But here are some methods which I have used:
**case study - songwriting
-----------------
METHOD 1:
-----------------
Set some time aside everyday to do that one thing you love the most to improve on. It doesn't matter even if it's half an hour, just TO DO this for a set amount of time per day throughout the week will truly get you to another level. This method is especially effective for those who are learning a skill in the creative arts field. Like songwriting, guitar, piano, painting, drawing, dancing, acting, etc.
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METHOD 2:
------------------
Instead of doing this once a day, do it once or twice a week, but put in another hour or two. For example, you could spend a hour or two on the weekend writing a song. Or even writing a song WITH someone else. It's a truly liberating experience when you look forward to a writing session after 'not doing it' every day. This method is often used when doing something everyday is impractical - for example playing golf, or learning how to fly an airplane. This is also good for those training in a particular group sport, like football, basketball or hockey.
-----------------
METHOD 3:
-----------------
Do it everyday, in every spare minute you have. Now admittedly, this method is probably only really practical for songwriters or 'writers' in general. This method involves you writing in every chance you get, like your lunch hour, your break times, on the bus, on the train - basically whenever you feel you have spare time, you'll be writing. For some, this method is easy. When they have a idea they'll put it down without ever thinking about it. For others, this is no-no.
This all leads me to my next point. Getting 'stuff done' means getting your idea's down on paper or a recording device so they can come to fruition. Your idea's need to come alive. So how do we do this?
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Getting Stuff Down Has Never Been Easier:
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I love to get my idea's down on a Dictaphone. It's a tiny tape recording device which uses 'micro cassettes' to record the audio - and they're dead easy to use. In fact, you can even get digital one's now where there is no need for a tape. Just record your idea's and come back to them when you have new one's. And of course, you can erase the bad ones if need be ;-) You can grab a decent, inexpensive one at Electronics, and it will be worth every penny. This way, getting song idea's down will never be a problem. Just record it in to the Dictaphone and you'll never forget a song idea ever again. I have a tape Dictaphone and carry it around with me most places I go. It really is a cool little device.
I hope this article has served to inspire you to get rolling on with whatever skill you wish to improve on. Perhaps this has helped you to find out some different things you want to learn and treat as a 'serious hobby'.
I'll leave you with this brilliant quote by PT Barnum that always drives me to do better in life and in songwriting:
"Engage in one kind of business only, and stick to it faithfully until you succeed, or until your experience shows that you should abandon it. A constant hammering on one nail will generally drive it home at last, so that it can be clinched. When a man's undivided attention is centered on one object, his mind will constantly be suggesting improvements of value, which would escape him if his brain was occupied by a dozen different subjects at once
From me the fact remains you are the best thing that can happen to you.
Have you ever heard of the word 'procrastination'? Now I'm not saying this to insult your intelligence (because truth be told, that word isn't really used in our everyday language).....but, it should be. Procrastination is when you unnecessarily 'put off' doing a task. When we procrastinate, we often avoid doing the task by either being lazy, or doing other apparently 'fun' or 'interesting' things. For example, I know I needed to write this article, but I kept putting it off... instead doing other interesting or 'fun' tasks. So what does this have to do with inspiring? Well, a lot. Actually, it has a great deal to do with your everyday life - in all the ventures you consider to be important to you. Many of us have what I call 'a serious hobby'. This is where it's much more than a normal hobby. It's where we seek to learn and better ourselves at a certain skill either for business or for pleasure.
Some people play golf, some love football, some love to learn how to fly airplanes, some like to socialize others how to learn a few more skill (I think I fall in that bracket!)....some play an instrument, and of course some of us love to learn and do songwriting. But it's not always that easy, is it? After a hard days work, after doing all the boring mundane tasks that life asks of you, maybe we just can't be bothered. Well, I know this feeling all too well and I have started to practice a couple of things that have really helped me in my quest to do what I love doing the most - songwriting. For some it will be something else, like playing golf, learning the piano, etc. But here are some methods which I have used:
**case study - songwriting
-----------------
METHOD 1:
-----------------
Set some time aside everyday to do that one thing you love the most to improve on. It doesn't matter even if it's half an hour, just TO DO this for a set amount of time per day throughout the week will truly get you to another level. This method is especially effective for those who are learning a skill in the creative arts field. Like songwriting, guitar, piano, painting, drawing, dancing, acting, etc.
------------------
METHOD 2:
------------------
Instead of doing this once a day, do it once or twice a week, but put in another hour or two. For example, you could spend a hour or two on the weekend writing a song. Or even writing a song WITH someone else. It's a truly liberating experience when you look forward to a writing session after 'not doing it' every day. This method is often used when doing something everyday is impractical - for example playing golf, or learning how to fly an airplane. This is also good for those training in a particular group sport, like football, basketball or hockey.
-----------------
METHOD 3:
-----------------
Do it everyday, in every spare minute you have. Now admittedly, this method is probably only really practical for songwriters or 'writers' in general. This method involves you writing in every chance you get, like your lunch hour, your break times, on the bus, on the train - basically whenever you feel you have spare time, you'll be writing. For some, this method is easy. When they have a idea they'll put it down without ever thinking about it. For others, this is no-no.
This all leads me to my next point. Getting 'stuff done' means getting your idea's down on paper or a recording device so they can come to fruition. Your idea's need to come alive. So how do we do this?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting Stuff Down Has Never Been Easier:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I love to get my idea's down on a Dictaphone. It's a tiny tape recording device which uses 'micro cassettes' to record the audio - and they're dead easy to use. In fact, you can even get digital one's now where there is no need for a tape. Just record your idea's and come back to them when you have new one's. And of course, you can erase the bad ones if need be ;-) You can grab a decent, inexpensive one at Electronics, and it will be worth every penny. This way, getting song idea's down will never be a problem. Just record it in to the Dictaphone and you'll never forget a song idea ever again. I have a tape Dictaphone and carry it around with me most places I go. It really is a cool little device.
I hope this article has served to inspire you to get rolling on with whatever skill you wish to improve on. Perhaps this has helped you to find out some different things you want to learn and treat as a 'serious hobby'.
I'll leave you with this brilliant quote by PT Barnum that always drives me to do better in life and in songwriting:
"Engage in one kind of business only, and stick to it faithfully until you succeed, or until your experience shows that you should abandon it. A constant hammering on one nail will generally drive it home at last, so that it can be clinched. When a man's undivided attention is centered on one object, his mind will constantly be suggesting improvements of value, which would escape him if his brain was occupied by a dozen different subjects at once
From me the fact remains you are the best thing that can happen to you.
