Motivation
- Thread starter Lola
- Start date
DISTORT6
NJ Devil
Going to see live music does it for me.
deepender
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2017
- Messages
- 61
I keep setting goals. Then I set more goals whenever I get close. And the goals have to be important to me. It’s not enough to just want to improve. It has to be, I want to be able to do this so I can ____________. What goes in the blank has to have real meaning for me and be attainable.
Moondog Wily
Howlin' At The Moon!
At this particular time in my life, being able to play the music (what is in my head as well as the music of others) is what is motivating me. I spent decades ignoring music but the past two years have been without a doubt, the most productive and emotionally satisfying times of my life so far in the music world. The problem for me is, the rest of my life is swirling in the opposite direction, so in another sense, the music is the only solace in my life at the moment. For you Lola, what I would look to is the motivation of nailing listeners to the floor with your busking this summer. It should be a lot of fun for you and the better you get at your current set list, the more you will impress! You know the reward of smiling faces and applause will be worth it to have stayed motivated on your journey! Attack mode engaged!!!
Lola
❤️guitar
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2022
- Messages
- 1,525
Don’t get me wrong I still am head over heels in love with my guitars and playing. I have been falling asleep while practicing. I think it’s all the personal issues that I am dealing with atm. I usually get up at 5:30 am now. That is definitely a foreign time to me. I haven’t a clue as to why this is happening. I do pickup my guitar throughout the day for a song or two and then it’s back to chores around here.,
Lola
❤️guitar
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2022
- Messages
- 1,525
@Moondog Wily you are brilliant. I need to NOT feel guilty for not learning new things atm and just focus on my set lists. Thank you for your reply. 
Total logic and I am not! Lol
Total logic and I am not! Lol
JasonE
New Member
I have struggled a lot with motivation in the last couple of years and it has been extremely tough this year. I keep trying different things but nothing has stuck so far. I don't usually have this issue. The real bad thing this year is that it is not just playing that I have not had motivation to do, it is just about everything. I have finally started getting out more and seeing friends more. Being outside and seeing people have been helping and I am feeling better. I still think I have a ways to go but I am starting to force myself to stop saying no and just making myself do things. That is helping as well.
On the playing front, I may be doing some fill in gigs in the near future. We will see if that situation pans out. I can tell you that the excitement that I felt when I received the phone call tells me that I need to do something like that. I haven't felt that excited about playing in a few years. For me, I know I enjoy playing for others and that is where the most fun is for me. I need to find a way to do it where it doesn't keep me up late at night or do it so much it burns me out. I still like the idea of getting more into recording. I haven't found a way to force that to happen enough for me to get the bug to do it more yet.
On the playing front, I may be doing some fill in gigs in the near future. We will see if that situation pans out. I can tell you that the excitement that I felt when I received the phone call tells me that I need to do something like that. I haven't felt that excited about playing in a few years. For me, I know I enjoy playing for others and that is where the most fun is for me. I need to find a way to do it where it doesn't keep me up late at night or do it so much it burns me out. I still like the idea of getting more into recording. I haven't found a way to force that to happen enough for me to get the bug to do it more yet.
Moondog Wily
Howlin' At The Moon!
In thinking about how i wanted to reply to this, it inspired a new song that I wrote just now! I will PM you the lyrics ;~)) The crux of the message is, sharpen the tip of the spear that is in your hand (current set list songs) and cut your future with it!! Once again, hope we get to eventually enjoy some video of the busking Lola!!!@Moondog Wily you are brilliant. I need to NOT feel guilty for not learning new things atm and just focus on my set lists. Thank you for your reply.
aamefford
Two Dogs
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2021
- Messages
- 411
I loved all the replies above. For me, I’m very (very!) early in my journey with music, statistically into the second half of my life’s journey. I bought a bunch of stuff I can’t yet play, ‘cause that’s what older guys with a little bit of means do. I rationalized that it is pre-retirement stocking up since family cash flow will change a bit when I retire. I now have 2 nice PRS guitars (S2 Studio and a 20 year old Santana III), a nice little Mesa, a fryette PS2 and some pedals. Oh, and a baby mixer and some powered monitors. One of the pedals is an amp in a box, so I can get about 4 discrete rigs out of that pile, for either guitar. None of this has motivated me for the long term. As it turns out, I was most motivated when I took lessons. So back to lessons soon, once life moves out of the way. Likely 6 - 9 months, maybe less.
Draconomics
Celebrating 16 years of crappy tone
Cheese. Lots of cheese.
Lola
❤️guitar
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2022
- Messages
- 1,525
Funny you should say that. I have been pigging out on medium cheddar cheese on Ritz crackers melted in the micro with some grapes. I eat a plate everyday.
JasonE
New Member
Lessons are a great way to find some motivation. It has been many years since I took lessons. I used to teach them at one point. I have a pretty good level of knowledge on theory and love talking about it. That gets my brain going and makes me try some different thing from what I typically play. I have been thinking about doing an online course just to get me thinking again and do some deep diving but in the direction of song writing this time. There is one course that I have almost pulled the trigger on a few times now.
ruger9
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2014
- Messages
- 285
I think sometimes the "secret" is to not worry about motivation... if you don't feel like playing, don't play. A day, a week. Wouldn't go more than a week (by then I'm missing it pretty badly anyway). But this "I MUST pick up the guitar every day" thing.... "must" can be an issue, IMO. If you WANT to, by all means do so. But if you just don't feel like playing, for whatever reason, don't. Sometimes a little break is exactly what you need to rediscover/rekindle your motivation.
JasonE
New Member
And what if it has been 2+ years? Sometimes you have to force yourself to do it to remember how much you enjoy it. Sometimes life distracts you from the things you really would rather be doing. I had a period of time that was well over 2 years a long time ago where I only touched a guitar about once a year. When I made myself set down for a longer playing session and work on a few songs it gave me the spark to start playing frequently again. That turned into getting an a band and gigging again. When I got back into it I realized how much of a stress reliever it is for me and wondered how the heck did I ever stop playing. I have been on a decline for the past few years that is pushing me back to that place where I don't play at all. I am trying to stop that from happening. I am making myself grab a guitar and play for a bit even if it is nothing more than running some scales for a bit.
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2023
- Messages
- 13
A big motivator is how deep the rabbit hole goes when you’re digging into the intricacies of different playing styles (and specific players). When you see how many techniques and methods are out there, it’s such an inspiration to think that you could have these tools at your disposal, and to continue developing your own unique style.
ruger9
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2014
- Messages
- 285
I took off several years. I was burnt out. Trying to "make it" (first with my band, then solo) from the age of 16 to about 28. I then became so disheartened and disgusted, I sold most of my gear and stopped playing. I completely changed my life and got into other activities instead: hiking/backpacking, mountain biking, running, road cycling, firearms.... I had decided "I didn't need music to be happy".
I was wrong.
Long story short, after several years (I forget how many, but at least 3... it was probably more like 5), I bought a tele and a Peavy Classic 50-410 and started playing again, just at home, as a hobby. But once I started scratching that itch again, I knew that was the REAL ME and jumped back in with both feet. Now I have 8 guitars 5 amps and IDK how many pedals, playing in a band again. LOL
The day will come when there's no more band; and that's fine... it will allow me to shrink my guitar and amp collection, and sit at home playing purely for my own enjoyment (which will include LEARNING and getting better; not just the occasional noodle). But there's no pressure involved. It's a love. A meditation. You add pressure to it, to ruin it. If I don't feel like playing, I won't. It's pretty simple really. Try not to overthink it. I have learned over the course of my life that overthinking is an evil to be avoided at all costs.
Lola
❤️guitar
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2022
- Messages
- 1,525
What pisses me off the most is that I set out with lofty aspirations of having a set band that were playing gigs consistently. I have played gigs before and I had so much fun. I thought the recent band that I was in was going to take off. I have no more band pressures but I have me. I can’t stop guilting myself if I don’t pick up my guitar every day. I am a perfectionist and an idiot rolled into one human being. Lol
ruger9
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2014
- Messages
- 285
Well that's something you're going to have to work on. Only you can work on yourself. IDK how old you are (I'm 53), but mounting years does = wisdom, in most cases. Some lessons can only be learned the hard way, unfortunately. Steve Vai has an interesting take on it (and sort of his take on "how the universe works":
[I'm paraphrasing]:
you are only, CAN ONLY BE, exactly where you are, when you are there. Where you are at any given moment is exactly where you are supposed to be. You may not understand why now, but you will understand someday.
My wife and I used to make fun of her dad (in his older age, like 50+) that he "had no sense of urgency" (compared to us young'uns who had plans and wanted to get them done RIGHT NOW lol). Now that I am the age he was, I GET IT. Very few things in life are actually worthy of pressure or guilt. VERY few. The rest just it what it is, and it works itself out in the end.
BrianC
more toys than talent
Just turned 62. Started early but never really learned to play well until later in life. I have a big gig this coming Friday!
Join a band
Join a band