Have Meaningful Goals

“People who strive for something significant, whether it’s learning a new craft or raising moral children, are far happier than those who don’t have strong dreams or aspirations,” say Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener. “As humans, we actually require a sense of meaning to thrive.” Harvard’s resident happiness professor, Tal Ben-Shahar, agrees, “Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning. Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable.”

I can’t think of a better goal than mastering a difficult song!

Muscle Memory

Practicing really makes a difference. Really. Think back to when you first learned to drive and their were so many things to think about and coordinate.

You’ve seen musicians play the piano with their eyes shut– that’s muscle memory. It’s the same with athletics as well. You repeat the process or the exercise and when the heat is on- your body responds – it’s like your body is in charge and not your brain.

When I first learned guitar, some chords were so difficult for my untrained hands I literally used rubber bands to train my fingers to hold the chord (G chord structure on uke.)

Even practicing ten minutes a day can make a huge difference over the week. Try it! Don’t like to “practice” ? call it “training” ! Best Regards!

Playing with Friends

I heard an interview on the radio the other day. The singer was explaining that there is nothing better in the world than singing in harmony with another person. Unfortunately for me I will never know as my singing is never on key. However, I feel the same way when playing my uke with friends! The joy of creating and sharing music is a great feeling.