Most of us have a movie, a song, or even a single solo that provided the spark to ignite our love of blues guitar. We had a dream, and that dream provided the gravity to pull us through whatever practice we had to do to reach it.
But I have learned that once we start on that journey, it's very easy to forget about our dream and focus our eyes downward, looking only at the path. Compared to our dream, the path is boring and tedious.
The dream of what you want to play is inspiring, but the path to reach it is often not. The secret to staying on the path without burning out or giving up is remembering to stop, look up from the path, and focus on the dream that initially drew you to that path.
The Messy Middle
Over the 17 years that I've been creating guitar courses online, I've tackled some monstrously large projects. In the middle of those projects, I often feel disoriented. The start of the project, which was full of hope and optimism, is so far behind me that I can barely remember what it felt like, but the end of the project is not yet in sight.
This part of any journey is called the "Messy Middle." It is where many dreams die.
Whenever I reach this part of the project, when I start to loathe the daily grind, I have learned the importance of pausing and looking up.
I look up and focus on the dream that inspired me to start this project. I try to remember what I was feeling when the idea first hit me. What did I imagine this course would be like? What did I imagine it would be like to tell people about it?
Depending on how long I've been struggling through the Messy Middle, it can take a while until I see that dream clearly again. When I've cleared the mud from my eyes, and I'm able to see that dream again, I just sit and revel in it. I allow myself to forget about all the work that still has to be done. I envision myself right on the threshold of finishing the project, and I imagine the relief I'll feel when I finally hit "Publish."
That feeling is like pure adrenaline. It's as if the dream has fixed a tractor beam on me and started pulling me through the tedious work found in the Messy Middle.
What About You?
If you're currently in the Messy Middle of your guitar journey, I hope you'll take some time to refocus your attention on the original dream that inspired you to start this journey in the first place.
Maybe you've already fallen victim to this phase of your guitar journey and given up hope. If you have, I hope you'll take the same advice.
If you no longer look forward to your practice time, you might need to dust off that dream. Put it back in front of you, and look at it (or listen to it) every day.
That dream has the gravity that can pull you through the most tedious, boring parts of your practice. But if you lose sight of it for too long, all that's left is the messy work in the middle.
Closing Thoughts
There are plenty of joyless things in life that we have to endure. Playing guitar should not be one of them. It should be joyful and inspiring, and focusing on the dream is how we keep it that way.
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