Minds Are Made For Changing
Have you ever considered that something as simple as changing your mind could change everything about your guitar playing? There’s no doubt that it can—but sometimes changing our mind might not seem so simple.
You can do it, though, if you learn to identify the beliefs that are holding you back. Even if you’re a confident and positive person, you’re likely carrying some unconscious ideas that aren’t serving you—and if you’re not aware of them, you can’t change them!
Become a Belief Detective!
Start by witnessing your thoughts and questioning any that could possibly be limiting. Many of these will fit into a “can’t” category. Some common examples are “I can’t play anything by ear,” “I can’t pick out a harmony,” “I can’t improvise,” “I can’t find time to practice,” or “I can’t find anybody to play with.”
Next, look for reasons you have for not succeeding in a given area. Those reasons are likely to fall into a “too” category, such as “My hands are too small (large),” “I started too late,” or “ I’ve been doing it this way too long.”
Once you’ve identified a belief (which to you will feel like a hard fact), ask yourself if it’s really true. If you’re sure it is, look a little deeper. It may be true that up until now you’ve not been successful in that one thing, but is it true that you can never be successful in it? Can you even entertain the possibility of success in it? If so, you’re on your way to breaking through to a new place!
Can it Happen in an Instant?
Sure it can, so be open to that—but for most of us, it will take some time. We’ll need to make a commitment to reminding ourselves of our new chosen belief often and then following through with action that will enable that belief to sink in.
As the old belief starts to weaken and the new one takes hold, you’ll increasingly find ways to achieve your goals. If practice time is an issue, for example, you’ll start seeing ways to make more space for guitar. If you’ve been grappling with small hands, you may stumble across a smaller guitar—or if you’ve been frustrated by a heavy hand, you might find ways to hone your technique. If your ability to connect your ear to your guitar is lacking, you may find yourself ready to add some ear training into your practice routine.
To make changing a belief work well, be kind and patient with yourself. When you notice the old belief rearing its head, find humor in its persistence. You can even talk to it—laugh and show it the door!
When you learn to do that, you’ll start moving through stuck places in your playing, one by one. If you’d like help lifting your limits, you can get it in You & Your Guitar. You can also get it from me personally! I’m always honored and grateful to participate in growth and change!
Now This…
I’ve been busy creating courses for each level in the Virtual Studio and I’m happy to announce they are now available! These courses are really a great way to organize your learning, identify and fill in gaps in your skills, and get help from me. You can access them through the studio at no extra charge, so please check them out.
If you’re not yet a member of the Virtual Studio, you can enjoy the first 30 days for free through the month of December—and you can learn a lot in 30 days! If you decide to stay after the trial period, the cost is only $9.95/month and you can cancel easily any time. The trial period will be shorter starting in January, so don’t wait to join!
