Do you a few minutes? I think that even the busiest of us have a few minutes to spare throughout the day… Let me show you something…
Now this pretty much only applies to creative thinking and processes that are progressively structured activities that start out simple and becomes more complex as you advance… We can cover a few examples so you can catch on to the method…
Learning the guitar and I suspect any musical instrument like the piano, banjo, horn, drums, ad infinitum has similar structures. Let’s start with the guitar… The most basic guitar is learning a chord, memorizing the finger placement and the name and then doing that chord repetitiously until that chord is in your arsenal... Then, next chord, next chord, next chord… There are really so many that most amateur players will never learn a fraction of them, but you can play literally hundreds of songs with about eight to ten chords… Now, after learning the most popular four, you can begin learning songs, but before you learn a song, you have to learn how to switch chords…. So then every day you run through the chords you know, then you can start switching between them until you can smoothly go from G to C to D, etc… Before you know it, you’re getting better…
I am going to stop right there because I think I can introduce you to the concept of the "TABOBTA180 Theory of Learning Shit… The “TABOBTA” is taken from my Twitter feed (@RobertPerrine14), the 180 is seconds and The Theory of Learning Shit is just me liking to use profanity…
180 seconds is three minutes… Pick a chord, practice that chord for three minutes a day… Set a timer because when you start three minutes is going to feel like an eternity as the top E string cuts into you like a cheese slicer after about 60 seconds… It won’t actually cut you, but the pain is very, very real… When the timer goes off you will be grateful but you will also be intrigued because just about anyone, when shown how, can strum a chord on a guitar.
The next day, sit down and practice the same chord, and the day after that and however long it takes to make that chord sound out correctly… The three minutes will begin to pass quickly and you may find yourself wanting to play more, and that’s okay, go right ahead… However, on the days when three minutes drags on like a bad date who has horrid breath, do not play less than three minutes… I mean fuck, you’re the one who wanted to learn to play and if you’ve been paying attention the last few weeks, forming new habits is sometimes worse than getting teeth pulled and it's only three minutes... Don't be a wuss...
180 seconds a day and after a few weeks, you have a few chords under your belt, some decent calluses on the tips of your fingers and a sense of growing confidence… All because of less time than it takes to watch a set of commercials during your favorite television show…
Yes, it is rudimentary but if you have always wanted to learn the guitar, it’s more “learning” than you’re doing by just talking about it… 3 Minutes a day is not on par with Eric Clapton, but it will get you started, interested and motivated enough to go further... I'm just here to push people off their comfort cliff, it's up to you how far you want to go after that...
This can apply to just about any musical instrument I suppose, but as I mentioned above, it can be applied to almost anything that has a progressive structure to it. Learning a new language, teaching yourself to knit, etc... Most things we learn to do that are creative can be broken down into sections starting with the most basic, and then getting more and more complex as we progress… The TABOBTA180 Method overcomes the primary intimidation we feel at the onset, burnout when you get overwhelmed and lets you learn at your own speed, starting at 3 minutes a day…
Strategies like this work because they reinforce the identity you want to build. If you pick up a guitar five days in a row, even if it’s just for three minutes, you are casting votes for your new identity. You’re not worried about the amount of time it takes to play a song. You’re focused on becoming the type of person who doesn’t miss practice. You’re taking the smallest action that confirms the type of person you want to be.
We rarely think about change this way because everyone is consumed by the end goal. You want to shred on a guitar but you have zero idea of where to start to get to that goal… Three minutes of guitar practice is better than none at all. Three minute of reading, art or meditation is better than never picking up a book, never doodling or never trying to calming your mind. It’s far better to do less than you hoped for than to do nothing at all. Whenever you are struggling to stick with a habit, you can employ the TABOBTA180 Theory of Learning Shit. It’s a simple way to build the skills you have always wanted…
The TABOBTA180 Method of Learning Shit is Free but if you order now, I will let you use it twice plus, you get free shipping... Now go learn something, it's all on you...
Enjoy the day…
Love you all fiercely… I mean that…
See you tomorrow…
The 90 Day Life Change Challenge update... You know what, A half Murph is starting to feel more like a warm up rather than a workout... P90X3 still sucks but I know it is good for me... The need to drink has faded to almost nothing... I practiced my guitar the other night actually in front of people and lastly... i was talking to a co-worker in the parking lot after work and she asked me how it was going and I told her that the last 40 days has altered me in ways that I had not expected... I am 39 days down with 51 to go and although I don't see light at the end of the tunnel, I don't foresee failure anymore... I cannot wait to finish so I can see what I am going to do next... I know, I know, I should focus on this moment but hey man, the future is so bright, I gotta wear shades... If I can find a fucking mask that doesn't fog them up after 30 seconds...
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