Monday is ....
Recently I recalled the old saying "monday is washing day". In those times, Sunday was the day to dress up to go to church so monday you started the new week. Upon considering these old sayings I realised they may have wisdom worth mining. I decided to try out having a set day for set tasks. Sunday for washing, cleaning, rest and time with loved ones. Friday for all admin background tasks. It's been several weeks now and patterns are emerging. I'm feeling more settled/grounded, less anxious and more productive. I've always got clothes to wear, beautiful clean sheets on my bed and food in the fridge. During the week when admin things come up, I note it for friday and it frees up my attention to keep going with the tasks for that day. Then, on friday, I know exactly what I'm to do as I have a checklist to follow. None of this re-inventing the wheel every day or week. So now I'm looking at how this idea of blocks of time and using a diary might be related to more effective music practise. How can we practise in a way that frees up our attention and relieves anxiety in playing or performing? Perhaps it's about where and how we place our attention in the practise and knowing ahead what we will be doing the next day. If we set a specific and achievable task then complete it, it is inevitable we'll feed good. Success is happening. If we do that in our practise, what gains would we make over time? In my experience, plenty if there is a behag (big hairy audacious goal) underpinning it and especially if I am passionately motivated to succeed. And that is a whole other story for another day.