September Goal Crushing

Let me just be the first one to say... setting goals is scary. But have you ever stopped to think about why? 

For me (especially on the flute), I'm scared to set goals because I'm afraid I won't reach them. Or that I won't reach them perfectly.

I'd be willing to bet that, as a flute player, you struggle with perfectionism as well--and I want to encourage you by saying this: 

Perfect is the enemy of Done. 

That's right. If you're like me, the pressure of doing something perfectly (like setting AND reaching a goal) will actually inhibit me from getting anything done at all.

So instead of focusing on Perfect... let's focus on Progress. 

Let's say you set a goal. You make sure it is a SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reasonable, Time-bound). You even make a plan of when you're going to work on your goal. 

But when you get to the goal deadline, you didn't achieve everything you set out to. You didn't reach perfection. 

In this moment, you have two choices. You can either beat yourself up for not being "perfect"... or you can take a look at your progress. 

Consider the latter: 

Think about where you were before you began working toward your goal. And then think about where you are now. What kind of improvements have you seen? Chances are you have made some really nice progress--which is AMAZING. Setting a goal and working toward it helped you move so much further than if you hadn't set a goal at all. 

During the month of September, my students and I have set several SMART goals. Here are a few examples:

• I want to play the entire Sonata No. 4 by Handel with correct rhythm and notes. --Linda
• To get one of the long All State Band etudes under my fingers and up to speed. --Bailey
• To practice 12 times and to focus on one problem area per practice session. --Alicia
• To tongue 80% of the notes correctly. --Hayley
• To practice every day during the month of September. --Emma
• To be comfortable enough with reading rhythms that I can count my pieces without help. --C.O.
• To relax my embouchure when I play. --Anita
• To memorize Movt. 2 of Vivaldi's Concerto for Piccolo and Orchestra -- Me
• Inquire about playing Waltz of Winds as a solo with the orchestra. --Emilia
• I want to get better at tonguing correctly. --Sarah

So what about you?

Even though September is winding down, you still have another week or two to accomplish something that's been on your to-do list for a while. I KNOW you can make progress toward you goals--all you have to do is write it down and start. 

If you decided on a goal to crush, let me know what it is in the comments, or take a picture and tag me on Instagram! I can't wait to hear from you. 

Happy Practicing!! 

--Katie