"We are what we repeatedly do"

- Aristotle

Hi Paul, 

How do we form habits? More importantly, how do we create habits that serve us?

As with most things in modern life, we've been sold something of a lie - we're told its willpower that makes the difference.

If only you want it badly enough, then you'll be motivated to change, and pick up that stick of celery, or sit at the piano. As it turns out, this couldn't be further from what it really takes

The truth is far simpler, and far less stressful.

Motivation is overrated

Yep, you read that right. Obviously, we all want to change - we all want to be fitter, stronger, healthier, or be able to speak that foreign language, or learn that plugin or synth we've always wanted to master. But motivation alone won't get you there - learning how to make habits is a crucial life skill, and it's one we can master at any stage, at any age.

Master The Art Of Showing Up - Learn to Begin.

In order to master a new skill, we must begin. Once we learn to begin, then it becomes surprisingly easy to take the next step, and the next, until one day we realise we're actually a decent piano player, we can run that mile faster than we did a month ago, and we can hold our own in a conversation in Spanish.

The thing to focus on is beginning a task, not fully completing the task itself. It can be daunting, and not to mention overwhelming to think about all of the work you have to put in to get to where you'd like to be, especially if you're an ambitious type like myself, and like to master skills fully. Sometimes this can be a lifelong process - it's too much to digest all at once.

Therefore, the only sensible way forward, is to break it down into the smallest possible step, and then proceed from there.

The Two Minute Rule

James Clear writes about the power of beginning in his excellent book Atomic Habits. In order to create new habits, Clear advises us to focus on doing something for only two minutes - yes just 120 seconds.

So, if you're trying to learn a new skill or form a new habit, do it for tow minutes only - and then you must stop.

If you're trying to learn piano, play scales for two minutes, and then stop.

If you're keen to develop a running habit, start by running around the block for two minutes, then stop.

Do this with enough repetition, not only will you quickly form this new habit, as it's not too time consuming, overwhelming or difficult....you'll quickly find you want to do far more than just two minutes.

If we make beginning a task a ritual, a frequent behaviour that becomes automatic, then very soon we find ourselves well on the path to mastery.

This week, apply this principle to building new habits in your musical endeavours:

• Open that new plugin you bought on Black Friday, and learn as much as you can about it in two minutes every day, then close it.
• Play piano scales for two minutes per day on your MIDI keyboard, then close your DAW
• Put your guitar somewhere so obvious in your house, that you'll pick it up and play it for 2 minutes per day, without even thinking.
• Start a new track in your DAW, but only work on it for two mins, then save and close it.

 To your increasing Creative Flow,

Paul <3

PS I love writing these weekly posts for you - so please continue to let me know by way of reply how they're helping you (as it's incredibly inspiring for me to hear from you), and if you'd like me to cover anything specific in future articles :)