Sometimes it's hard to get motivated to practice.
Heck, sometimes it feels like trying to drive a car with a dead battery.
And so, one thing we need to learn is how to break the logjam. And using your "why" can do the trick.
If you're not familiar with a logjam, it's something like this.
Loggers need to transport logs great distances. And so, rather than carry them on trucks, they'll float them down rivers. Efficient, right?
But once in a while, the logs will get stuck. There may be a sharp bend in the river that can't handle many logs. Or, there may just be too many logs, period.
Loggers will break the logjam by throwing a stick of dynamite in. After the explosion loosens things up, the logs will continue floating.
Your "why" is your dynamite.
Next time you feel stuck, try this for ten minutes. Maybe longer.
Think about why you started this in the first place. And I mean really, really think about it.
As a common example, let's take a parent who is tired and unmotivated to help the kids practice. The day to day schedule is tough enough, the kids aren't cooperating, and it just plain feels easier to give up.
But then, let's go through a list of "whys." Why would parents want to give their kids piano lessons? A hypothetical list might look like this.
1. So they (the kids) gain a skill they can enjoy for a lifetime.
2. So they can develop the time-management and discipline skills that will sustain them in every other area of their lives.
3. So they can learn how to problem-solve and grow beyond the "fill-in-the-blank" approach to education.
4. So they can learn to play music with others.
5. So they can bond with their parents through shared experiences in practicing and recitals.
6. So they can learn to deal with delayed gratification.
7. So they can experience the thrill of learning and growing a skill over the course of several years.
8. So they have another means to express themselves in both good and bad times.
9. So they can give their own kids music someday.
After making a list like this, it should be easier to set aside fifteen minutes and practice today. Don't you think?
So...how long is your list?