Here Is The ONLY Guitar Goal You Should Set For 2025

Has anyone ever told you to set goals for your guitar playing? How did that work out? (Just for the record: I'm not against goal-setting, I just think you need to set the right kind of goals.)

This year, I don't want you to set goals for your guitar PLAYING; I want you to set goals for your guitar PRACTICE.

Here's an example of a playing goal -vs- a practice goal.

See the difference?

• The Playing goal focuses on the outcome
• The Practice goal focuses on the process.
• The Playing goal assumes you have unlimited time
• The Practice goal challenges you to be disciplined with the time you have.
• The Playing goal is mostly OUT of your control because you CAN'T force yourself to learn faster; you can only spend more time trying to accomplish it.
• The Practice goal is mostly WITHIN your control because you CAN make yourself pick up the guitar instead of watching TV, or doomscrolling on social media.

Important Note: HOW you spend your practice time matters a lot. You can't just sit down for three hours per week and strum the same few chords or play the same few licks and expect to improve.

You do have to focus your practice on one or two specific things in order to make progress, such as a song, solo, rhythm, or technique. However, your primary goal should be maintaining a consistent amount of time to work on it, not setting a deadline for mastering it.

• The best way to get better is to be consistent in your practice.
• The best way to be consistent in your practice is to make a schedule.
• The best way to keep a schedule is to plan for interruptions before they happen.

Planning For Interruptions

The winter months are when most people have the most time to practice. Practicing is easy when there's no yard work, no vacation trips ("holidays" for our European readers), and the kids are in school.

Right now, it's easy to maintain a consistent schedule. But in a few months, life is going to hit you sideways. If you're not prepared, you can kiss that practice routine goodbye.

So, the kinds of questions you should answer as you set a practice schedule are:

• How will I reschedule my practice time when my kid's track season starts?
• How will I reschedule my practice time when the project at work requires overtime in the evenings?
• How will I get back to my practice routine after our family trip in July?
• If you wait until your schedule becomes hectic, it's too late. Interruptions always win if you're not prepared for them.

Closing Thoughts

There's a version of you in December of 2025 that can play things you WISH you could play right now.

But there's another version of you that hasn't improved at all.

Which one of those people you meet in December depends on how well you schedule and defend your guitar practice time before life gets busy.

I'm not including links to courses or my membership program in this email because I hope you'll take this advice to heart and spend time working on your practice plan for 2025.

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know if any of this resonates with you.

Take care,
Anthony Stauffer
Owner, Texas Blues Alley