The Piano Guide Review

Procrastination by Georgia Zoe Schohl

We selected a couple of the best questions about pianos, piano playing, and piano practice, or any other question about playing the piano in the past year.

Here's an short article on the subject of Procrastination:

Procrastination: It’s Not My Fault Because I Don’t Have the Time!

Procrastination (postponing what needs to be done, but isn’t done yet because you just haven’t had the chance or the time to get started yet) is something that people have all experienced. Want to feel guilty? Or less than responsible? Or worse, less than accountable? Procrastinate what you want to do (indefinitely, until you can force yourself to do it someday when you are inspired or feel like doing it.) Forcing yourself to do something---like going to the dentist to get the temporary crown for the cracked tooth or for practicing a good hour a day on your piano can be challenging to do. But it’s satisfying once you get started--in fact, it's a wonderful feeling of accomplishment.

You’ve set some primary goals, over the past year to lose weight, clean up the suffocating clutter in your home, learn a new instrument or foreign language, improve relationships---yet you feel the opportunity has not presented itself to you to get it going. Let’s face it, people nowadays are overwhelmed with so much stressful pressure to cope with life’s responsibilities. It can be a struggle to get motivated to decide what exactly you want do and how to go about doing it. It's easier, not to do anything and hope things get better.

Why not select one or two goals you want to tackle and conquer this upcoming New Year? Let’s say you want to learn a new instrument, namely piano. Write down what you want to do. Write your goal in a special place, like your iPhone, computer, or a simple legal pad of paper. I love post it notes myself---I plaster them on my front door and on my computer to remind me what to do. When I get something done, I cross it off. And when I get several “chores” or goals done on the post-it note, I replace the old note a new-post it note with new or revised (more realistic) goals.

How do you plan to learn piano? From a teacher, a friend or online course, for example? Next, write down how you plan to learn piano. Depending on the research you need to do, write down your progress. What teachers or online courses are on your list? Chart your progress as you contact each teacher or investigate the material on each online course. What are your goals ? Make them small at first, then expand your goals to a couple of “challenge” goals. For example, a small goal might be mastering each weekly assignment.

If you do not understand a particular lesson, do not stop, give up (temporarily of course) and (oh, no) procrastinate again. Don’t allow yourself to stay blocked or give up. To accomplish anything, you have to get around that block, do something, until you get it right, because somehow it can be done. Contact your teacher or the creator of the online course. If you do not understand them, tell them. Ask for more help until you are satisfied with the answers.

Chart your progress on a calendar where you can review what has been accomplished so far. You will find that-- yes, you are inching closer to your goals. Give yourself credit! And keep revising your goals, keep those small goals flowing and add a couple new, challenging goals once you master the old goals.

Last, don’t be a total perfectionist. This is not “all or nothing.” Relax! You cannot realistically practice piano every day of the week for an entire week. Set certain days and times aside for your assignments, and make no excuses for avoiding it. Get some time off too! Hopefully, you will be refreshed and ready to tackle your assignments the next day with fresh insight and inspiration. If you are just too busy on some days, don't get too upset. Start over again the next day---you did not forget everything you learned just because you skipped a day or two. Stay focused on your goals.