Goals...? Like soccer?

Let's just go ahead and step past all the mumbo-jumbo of trying to define goals and talk about how we could possibly apply them to our lives. I'm going to claim that we all have things we've got to do. Whether you're a college student and you have got to study in order to keep your GPA above a 3.5 to keep your parents happy, or an athlete who's got to hit the gym for hours a day in order to stay fit and well equiped to excell in your sport. But in my case, I'm a musician. I have got to spend enough time practicing, and practicing well to become the most talented I can be. Because the sad truth is that there are other people out there, even some of my friends, who are competing for the same jobs as me. And in a world where jobs in music industry are becoming increasingly rare the standard of music educators is being raised higher and higher by the moment. So how do I ensure that I will succeed in this industry? I have to set goals. The goals start small, as in what am I going to do this week to better my musicianship? I have to hit the practice rooms, three hours a day six days a week. At the least. I have to nail my etudes and studies for my lesson instructors in order to move on to the next step in my learning. Sometimes, this means waking up at unmentionable hours in order to get to the practice room with a decent amount of time to dig into my music. I personally set my alarm for six a.m. I like to get up early and read while enjoying a cup of coffee. Waking at this hour ensures that I can enjoy my morning while managing to spend a good hour in the practice room before my 9 a.m. class to start putting music uncer my hands early. I personally find this goal to be quite attainable. My alarm requires a math problem to shut it off so I am woken up quite well and im quickly ready to start my day. Then in the long term I have goals of making it into a drum corps for at least one season so that I am really allowed the oppurtunity to dig in and become a better musician. That all starts with basic practice in order to hone my technique and become more adept at my instrument. But setting goals and keeping myself accountable to these goals will ensure my success.

The mental game

What is the mental game? Is it a card game that you can play with yourself to keep from being bored late on thursday nights when nothing is going on? Or is it something deeper? Is it something that governs the way you perform in all aspects of your life? In studies? At work? In the band hall? With your family? On the court? Out on the field? I feel that the mental game is something that is unique to every individual. Yet it is still something that we all must battle with on a day-to-day basis. I feel that my mental game is that I lack confidence. Hah, that's kind of funny if you saw me anywhere other than behind an instrument. I tend to be loud, a little opinionated and outspoken, almost as though I am arrogantly confident. But in my psyche I have told myself that I am innadequate, that I can not perform where my professors and society desires. That I am incapable of being anything other than mediocre. I will forever be just another face in the metaphorical crowd of musicians. But this is where I am wrong. The glory of your mental game is that it is something you have created, therefor, it is something that you get to make the rules to. You govern what goes on in your mental game, no one else. So when you step back and truly begin to examine what is going on inside your head and then compare it to reality you will often see just how corrupt and wrong our mental games are. That everything we know and everything the world tells us contrasts the ideas we are putting in our heads, that facts surpass our feelings, emotions, and doubts. So often we tend to sell ourselves short because we like to compare ourselves to perfection, because we all wish that we were perfect at somethings, maybe even several things, or just everything. But the thing to being human is that we are not perfect. We are flawed creations and there's nothing we can do to change that. We must overcome the desire to be perfect while still working to grow ever closer to that perfection. Once we break our mindsets and release ourselves of this mental game, we will grow exponentially.

Transitioning from High School to College

So a majority of American teenagers no longer complete their quest for education at the end of their high school career. It is almost standard now to continue your pursuit into undergrad or even grad schools.
The standards in this day and age are that unless you are making the kind of money that a degree will earn you will not be able to create a life for yourself well and you especially will not be able to create one for your family. So with that in mind it is inevitable that one must make the transition from high school into college. But how does one do so? It can be scary, especially for those of us who are first generation college students and have no one to guide them through the process of applications, auditions, scholarship essays, any of that. I am a first generation college student and I was afraid and confused when I went through my application process. I was unsure about everything to say and I just wanted to answer everything right. But then I realized that learning these things and thinking on my own was the first part of being a college student, the first step to becoming an adult. In college, especially if you live on campus, you're no longer a kid who is still under the wisdom and descernment (or lack thereof) of your parents. You are on your own and you have been kicked out of the nest. You must govern your own choices, responsibilities and actions. There is no one to get you up in the morning except for your alarm clock. There is no one ensuring that you get your coffee and breakfast before you head off to school, no one making sure you do all of your assignments. It is just this transition where you have to "man up" and take on your own life. This is when you really become yourself. You also have to ensure that you are keeping up with your studies. The course work in college is significantly harder and so much more demanding than the classwork of high school. The test are deeper, the thinking requires more attention, the books must be read actively. College isn't a walk in the park nor should it be. But with accountability, maturity, work ethic, and several other self-improvements, the transition from high school into college can be a true piece of cake!