“If you can dream it, you can do it”
– Maggie Melogy (guitar student at Freeway Music)
That’s right. This quote doesn’t come from a famous, wise person, but rather one of my guitar students. This was the theme of her newest original song, and it resonated with me. I often spend time discussing this topic with my students who are serious about pursuing their dreams and careers during our lessons.
DISCLAIMER!
If you are not serious about pursuing your dreams and goals, this blog is not for you.
Set Your Dream Goal
“Having an unusually large goal is an adrenaline infusion that provides the endurance to overcome the inevitable trials and tribulations that go along with any goal. Realistic goals, goals restricted to the average ambition level, are uninspiring and will only fuel you through the first or second problem, at which point you throw in the towel. If the potential payoff is mediocre or average, so is your effort.”
Timothy Ferris-The 4-Hour Work Week
Don’t set a small goal. Set out that big “unrealistic” goal that excites you. If you set the bar low, then that is as far as you will go. So, aim high. Then, take it a step further. Go from “I want to make an album” to “I want to sell a platinum record.” Then, work backwards from there. Does this sound scary to you? Yes, of course it does…but doesn’t it also seem exciting?!
Down with the Naysayer
Naysayer: “a person who says something will not work or is not possible; a person who denies, refuses, or opposes something”
Naysayer: “Don’t make that move to Nashville; you’ll never survive.”
Result: Jesse Isley appears on the Letterman show and gets offered a position on an international tour.
Naysayer: “You can’t have a music lesson studio separate from a retail store. It will never work”
Result: Freeway Music is born and will soon open its fourth location.
Anyone who tells you that “you can’t” is simply jealous and, frankly, doesn’t have the guts to make a move themselves. Fear is what drives most people into complacency. They don’t want to see you succeed because they haven’t succeeded. The old saying “It’s lonely at the top” is often true. If you can will yourself into taking that leap of faith and pushing yourself to the next level, you will find that a lot of people aren’t there. This truism is the result of the fact that it takes a lot of will power and belief in one’s self. So strip yourself of anyone who is negative or holding you back and move towards your dreams.
Start Yesterday
What are you waiting for? What excuse are you giving yourself today? Start at your dream goal, work backwards, and figure out what the very next step you need to take to achieve that goal. For example, I want to create an instructional book and video series for guitar. Let me rephrase that: I AM going to create an instructional book and video series for guitar. That’s a better mentality. Before I begin putting my lessons into a book or video, I need to develop and refine my curriculum. Before I do that, I need to set aside the time. So, I set aside time each week to work on it. This is my way of taking course of action. If I don’t do this, I will surely fill my time with something else…generally something that will likely be a waste of my time. Figure out your first course of action and do it!
Take a moment to ponder your dream goal and make sure it is the highest point you can imagine. Don’t listen to the naysayers. Move them out of the way. Work backwards from your dream goal and set your course of action. Start ASAP! No one knows how far you will go, but you will certainly make it MUCH further with a higher bar, no negative baggage, and the guts to take action. Best of luck with your dreams!
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