G’s Daily Dose

It’s time to pivot.  I’ve explored, I’ve followed the flow and now it’s time to pivot.

It’s time to put my focus on this new path, a slight change from the path I was on, an altered path with more promise.

Today, I pivot and continue the journey.

 

Once you see the need to change, then there is the changing process.  It feels weird.  Doing something different.  Just planning the day to do different tasks after years of the same thing can feel uncomfortable.

You may even feel you’ve abandoned something.  That feeling can lead to confusion or even frustration.  You can easily begin to question your decision about going this new direction.

It’s important to build strong legs to support your decision to continue in this new direction.  Imagine a table with only two legs.  It wouldn’t be very stable.  Add strength to your decision by adding legs, what are the reasons to support your decision for this new direction?    The better the reasons, the stronger the support.  Write them down.  Read them often.

Move it forward.  Study something about your new direction daily.  Get used to it!  Then take action.

If you could choose today, the career you wish you had, what would it be?  What would a day in that life look like?

Would you get up at the same time or would that change?  How would you prepare for your day?  Would your work consume your day or would you have part of the day left for other activities?

How would you dress?  Who would you see or meet?  What key activity fulfills your duties for the day?

How would that feel?

I watch so many people struggle today doing the jobs they do.  It’s so obvious their mind is not on completing the work at hand and sadly for them, this half-minded effort makes being there miserable.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to observe a couple of guys doing construction work, stucco, to be exact.  It’s not an easy job, bucket after bucket of concrete mix, plastered to the wall.   They worked in near perfect harmony and seemed very happy as they performed the tasks, mixing the concrete, getting it to the roof level three stories above the ground, masking off and covering up to protect other work, it was like a well oiled, well-tuned machine and the amount they got done was amazing.

There are times we need to work like a machine.

My love for architecture never ceases.  I love the classic homes but they usually become obsolete in functionality. It’s time for a change.

Those who manage to change these masterpieces of the past while maintaining the creative integrity of the past are the real masters.

We all must change.  What is wonderfully classic about us that we should hold on to, be careful not to discard what cannot be replaced.

There is a Zen quote, “Before Enlightenment chop wood, carry water.  After enlightenment chop wood, carry water”.

Well, I won’t try to say it better, it’s so true.  The difference is simply the knowing.  Knowing who you are.  Knowing why you do the things you do.  Know you’re doing the right things.

Most importantly, doing them with the attitude of gratitude.  There’s much to do, let’s do it and enjoy the doing!

Life is an amazing thing.  Despite my failures, setbacks, the many disappointments, I’m still here with the opportunity to make a difference today!

I am thankful for this day!

I can choose to make a difference in someone else’s life today.  I can choose to make a difference in my life today.  I can choose to step forward where in the past I’ve let it rest.  With an attitude of gratitude, I can do many things today or find a single thing to focus on that could make a  single difference.  The choice is mine.

We have all been blessed with that powerful choice!

I am grateful.

As we apply our selves to study we slowly acquire new skills.  Then like magic, moments without instruction, we miraculously leap forward in learning.  Maybe it was just a single thing, but it happened.

Doing nothing more than providing discipline to follow through and study to learn something new and often within just a few days. that magic leap takes place.

It is truly magical.

 

When faced with a mountain, I Will Not Quit!  I will keep on striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or simply stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine with God’s help! 

This quote by the late Robert H Schuller should be at the tip of our tongues the very second we find it difficult to move forward.

Today, I will find a way!

What can you do using consistency as your primary tool?  You can do the most amazing things, check this out.

While looking for music to enjoy while doing my daily office tasks, I came across a YouTuber, a young man who had decided to learn guitar and keep track of his progress, and he did so on YouTube.

The first couple of months learning guitar for this young man were the most difficult, it took time for his fingers to toughen up.  He could only play 30 minutes at a time.  That was May 2011.  After 30 hours he could play a couple of simple songs we all could recognize.

He learned by watching others on YouTube.  Now, able to crudely play two songs, he became more intense.  He began to try playing songs that were way beyond his current ability.  No longer willing to just use YouTube tutorials, he started watching performances of outstanding guitar players, slowing YouTube down to .5x speed so he could watch and copy every hand movement.

By September 2011, after only 330 hours of practice time, he was able to play much more complex and pleasing music like Dueling Ninjas by Trace Bundy.   This was a huge step forward.

Then after eight months, 836 hours, he just didn’t practice much and his progress stalled.  Like so many, he’s playing was okay but not really good.

It was then he posted his first couple of tunes on YouTube.  He received positive feedback.   Driven by the comments on YouTube more than playing guitar his obsession took hold.  Posting more and practicing much more.  He was beginning to love playing and growing and posting it.  He says, looking back, I wish I had not wasted those hours.

Now, February 2016, after 3056 hours, music was beginning to flow.  He’s playing began to change, DRAMATICALLY.  He started practicing 6 – 7 hours a day.  He saved money for a new guitar, a good step up, and motivation to push his interest into an obsession with consistency.

He started doing his own versions, more advanced versions of popular songs.  In January 2017 he began writing his own tablature at 4,440 hours.  By May the same year, he reached 5,020 hours but slowed down due to a painful finger, so he searched for a better way to play without pain.  At this same time, he posted a cover of an Indonesian song and it reached 3 million views on YouTube.

Then he stepped out.  No more cover songs.

He began to experiment, still practicing consistently, but adding percussion, harmonics and tapping to his creative style.

This was self-inspiring, he again rose to 6 – 7 hours of daily practice time.  Now with ten methods of playing down, he was becoming very creative.

With 7,000 hours of practice and 245,000 YouTube subscribers, Mattias Krantz has mastered playing guitar.

What area of obsessive consistency would change your life?

It is Better Late than Never!