Welcome to the Year of the Drum

Happy New Year! Time to make a bunch of resolutions that you’ll most likely abandon in a few weeks. You’re not alone. Only 8 percent of people actually achieve success with their resolutions. So what’s the secret of these superhuman over-achievers? In a nutshell, it comes down to setting goals for yourself, reflecting on your progress, and managing expectations.

When I was 13, I was in the intermediate band at school. My teacher, Mr. Covington, had the students seated in order of ability. First chair was the number one spot and you were considered “The Best” on that particular instrument. That’s where I sat. I guess that made me the best drummer in the class. I wasn’t smug, but rather proud that all of my practice had paid off. At the start of December, Mr. Covington said to me “If you improve your drum roll, I’ll put you in the Advanced Band.” That was it! I had my sights on a target, and I knew how to get there. My big goal was to transfer to Advanced Band, but to get there I had to improve my drum roll. Setting a smaller goal of improving my drum roll helped me focus on just one thing. For 6 weeks, I practiced my drum roll constantly. Every single day I kept working at it and trying to make it better. The new year arrived and I performed the drum roll in class. Mr. Covington was impressed enough to move me into Advanced Band! When I got into Advanced Band, I was seated in last chair! What a shock! I was the best in the other band and now the worst in this band? I have to say, it was a good reality check for me. I used that moment to aim for a new goal ― to be first chair in Advanced Band. Every new goal that you set for yourself will bring you to another goal to aim for. It’s never ending and I’ve been doing that for the past 40 years

What’s your BIG goal for 2020/21? Don’t just resolve to practice more, or watch more YouTube video tutorials. Take your big goal and break it down into smaller goals. Each time you achieve a smaller goal, you’ve reached a checkpoint on your journey to achieving your big goal. For each milestone, reflect on the progress you’ve made, and let that feeling of accomplishment fuel your momentum to reach the next, even when you know it’s going to take time and effort. Oh, and I never made it to first chair in Advanced Band. I made it to second chair, but that didn’t stop me from aiming high, and setting new goals outside of class.

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