PD buddy

[toasterwater]

I've just recently kicked a habit that has been consuming precious hours of my life for quite some time. This habit seems to have been the only last obstacle in between me and personal development.

I'm starting to get my life back together, but I like to talk about the process with others who think on the same level. I've tried talking to friends and family, but it gets frustrating.

Basically, I'm looking for someone with whom I can discuss my current endeavors. I would like this person to be open minded, and progressive... and to have the same goal oriented attitude that I do.

Anybody wanna chat?

[Peek]

We are all ears..
you do not think we are on this forum just to waste our time do you?

[toasterwater]

Ok so how about this.

Basically, I have all these goals and stuff, but I've decided that I need some sort of accountability to actually follow through and stay on track.

I think I will try discussing goals on this thread, and you can help me stay on track by analyzing, questioning, etc.

I can talk about goals that I have for a day or week, etc, and then later I can post what actually got done. If there is a discrepancy between what I intended to do, and what actually happened, that's where you come in.

Also, since we're talking about efficiency and such... you may also point out if you think that I should be accomplishing more with my time.

As I write this out, I think to myself "this post seems very selfish, why would anyone wanna critique my days/habits, etc?" ... well, I dunno, I guess I'm just hoping that someone out there is bored enough, or something along those lines, and maybe through my posted progress I can help out someone else who may be reading and facing similar challenges...

Who know's... maybe it'll work. I hope so, because I've tried to do things like this by myself, but I lack the accountability that a 3rd party (or would that be a second party.... hmm.... ) provides.

[lifetimelearner]

like peek said we are all ears !

go for it ....

[toasterwater]

Also, I realize that you know nothing about me or my goals... so I guess I should throw out some general info, and let you know that you can ask me any questions about myself blahblahblah...

About me:
I'm 23 years old
I live in San Diego California in an apartment with a roommate.
I am currently a full time student in a community college.
I aspire to be a rock star... but I am far from this goal .
I just finished a 5 year stint in the Military... I hated it, but because of that, I am able to support myself and go to school full time and not have to have a job for the time being
I love learning stuff.

I just decided to kick a terrible habit... this was a habit that consumed many, MANY, precious hours of my life, and has prevented me from attempting to reach my goals... so now that I'm free of that, I should be fully capable of putting out 100% effort toward my goals.

That being said... I basically start from scratch, or maybe just a little above that... I have very few good habits, my room is a mess, etc.

Okay. that seems like enough info to get started. Like I said, if you have any questions or need any more info, please ask!

[Aleksander Krstic]

I first thought that you're looking for a real PD buddy. Good luck anyhow.

[toasterwater]

Today I have school from 11-430
During this time I have my chemistry lecture, and then the lab.
I'm pretty well prepared for class today. I have no due assignments today, but last night I did catch up on all the reading/ rolling book assignments for that class.

As for the lab, in the break between chem lecture and lab, I plan on reading the pre lab assignment to prepare for class.

Outside of school, since this week I am officially out of the military, I need to get my unemployment insurance claim in. So I need to contact someone and get my discharge paperwork from the military, and I need to call the unemployment office with that paperwork/info, etc and start my claim. Basically, I need to finish this claim before the end of the week so that my benefits will start this week.

[toasterwater]

Originally Posted by Aleksander Krstic

I first thought that you're looking for a real PD buddy. Good luck anyhow.

I started this thread to look for a buddy that I could talk with about this stuff... but nobody really responded like that, so I decided to just start talking, lol... So if you would like to talk to me about this stuff outside of the forum, let me know!

[toasterwater]

Okay... So i found out that my discharge paperwork is going to be mailed to me ... so i guess i have to wait on that unemployment stuff.

In the mean time, My immediate goals include getting completely caught up on my school work for all my classes. This means i need to read some sections and do some problems in my trig book... and I should probably read some of my music book... hmm... and i need to start doing some of the assignments in my chemistry lab that will be due i believe like a week from now...

I'm also currently very unorganized... I think I should get a calendar and record all of my deadlines and coming dates that are important... cuz the current system of "hmm... i wonder if i have any bills i need to pay soon" or "i hope there's not a big assignment coming up in any of my classes" is pretty stressful, and not very efficient.

Also, I need to organize my stuff! I have only lived in this apartment for close to 2 months now, but i only have a bed, and 3 stackable plastic drawers... thats it as far as furniture!... I need a desk, and I dunno... someplace to put random stuff.. maybe more drawers... and like a filing cabinet or something!

Also, Since one of my major goals is to become a rockstar (another very important goal is to never have to work at a job ever again.... so i need to become a financially self sustaining rockstar before my free school and stuff expires- i estimate about 3 years!) I need start progressing my guitar skill. I should sign up for classes, and i should make a habit to not only play, but get better at the guitar, at least a little bit, every day.

[lifetimelearner]

a calender where you could see it everyday would be useful
a desk and small filing cabinet are good ideas

did I miss the part where you stated your major in school ?

[toasterwater]

I didn't state my major. I am currently knocking out gen. ed. at this community college, and I plan on meeting transfer requirements to get into UCSD for their mechanical engineering plan...

that being said... I only chose "mechanical engineering" because it seems like it will hold my interest. and i have to choose a major, lol. it could change i suppose, but I'd like to think that my real goal for college is a. to learn stuff, cuz learning is fun, and b. to bring in money to support myself while learning how to make money being a rockstar (remember the government is paying me to go to college cuz of my military service and such, but it doesnt last forever!)

[Shane]

Okay, let me chime in with my two cents:
I encourage you to explore what works for you. For example, you say you might want a calendar. I suggest googling something like "time management", "best online calendars" and stuff like that and see what kind of articles you come up with. Read some advice and then try something out. Try out a method as described for a week or two and then try a different one. Then maybe a third one. Keep trying until you find some method that you are comfortable with and that really sticks with you.
Then move on to the next thing you want to get organized.

I know you want to do everything at once, and I wouldn't stop you from trying. Just don't be surprised if it all falls apart pretty quickly. Doing just one thing at a time always gets me to my goals more quickly than doing everything at once.

As for the rockstar thing: Practice, practice, practice and practice are the most important factors here. At least to begin with. If you stick with it and your skill rises to rockstar-worthy levels... well, then you gotta do something. I'm not going to pretend I know how to become a rockstar.

Good luck!

[Thekla]

I love your bold goal of becoming a rock star, and it's great that you also have chosen small, actionable steps of practicing every day and taking a class. I'm wondering if there is an intermediate achievement that you could work towards that is smaller than being a rock star, but more goal-oriented instead of process-oriented. For instance, perhaps you could decide that in six months, you will do a 5-minute set at an open mic... or record a song and put it on YouTube... or whatever strikes your fancy. I find that setting some smaller sub-goals can be easier than working towards one huge goal that's years down the road.

Also, this might seem like a simple question, but how will you know when you are a rockstar besides being self-supporting? (Is it selling so many albums? having so many audience members at a concert? stalker fans and being on the cover of a tabloid? just supporting yourself solely through your music?)

I encourage you to make this goal real and concrete for yourself, and to think about what some milestones might be between here and there that you can work towards-- because I believe this kind of planning makes your goal more likely to manifest.

Also, I'm curious... how many hours of work do you plan to put into this goal to make it happen? Three years is actually not a lot of time to accomplish something so big, especially while you are still in school... so it will probably take a lot of dedicated hours to get there.

Best of luck, hope some of this is of help to you!

If you'd like to chat, best place to find me live for chattingonline is on Facebook... Thekla Richter - Seattle, WA | Facebook Drop me a note and let me know we met here, and I'd be happy to friend you and to chat online about personal development if we are there at the same time. Or feel free to email me, too.

All the best to you!

Take care,
Thekla

[toasterwater]

Wow Thekla.. thanks for that awesome reply!

That is exactly what I need. I didn't even realize that I have no graduated perspective on becoming a rockstar, or really how to define that.

I'll start with the definition. I suppose my end goal is not the typical rockstar in the tabloids and on MTV... I really just don't ever want another "job", so i suppose my definition of a rockstar is simply to sustain myself financially without having to do anything but play music. I would like to be in a band, and live performance is a must.

As for "rockstardom" as the means for my income in the future... Well, I LOVE music... it makes me happy. It curbs anger, and diminishes depression. In recent times, the most fun that I've had is while screaming the lyrics to a good rock song at a live concert. I love to sing karaoky, I used to play the Rockband/guitar hero games and loved them, and when I was in High school, i actually played decent guitar. I remember walking around in public with my best friend playing simple chords and adlibbing random lyrics. Anytime I see a live rock performance, it sparks that desire to be up on stage.

Although I have other interests in life, I truly believe that I can make a living doing something FUN!

Now... as for the details... I suppose i will need something more than "practice alot, get some lessons, and vioala!"

First of all... it is good to point out that 3 years is not all that long. People play instruments for decades and NEVER reach this sort of goal. So I'm going to have to do something different.

I know that many people carry a similar course load in school, and additionally work 1, 2, heck 3 jobs, and have social lives and maybe even families. In my position, I cannot settle for 30 minutes a day. Nope, not even an hour a day. If this is how I want to make a living, I should really put out the effort--- go the extra mile... If someone can fit a full time job into their school schedule, I can at least that many hours of guitar practice into mine.

Now... I don't expect to say that today I will start playing the guitar 8 hours a day, and keep that up for 3 years... I will have to ramp up to something sustainable. And I should create milestones and minigoals along the way.

So how about this... This week will be week 1. I will play my guitar for a minimum of 30 minutes a day for this week alone. That is a tiny amount of practice every day, so this first week will be the only week where that is acceptable. Maybe next week I will ramp it up to 45 minutes per day, and then set a new standard for the following week.

What do you think? sound like a sustainable progression? too modest? all constructive criticism is welcome!

Thanks!


By the way, I bought 2 erasable monthly calendars to post on my wall, and a planner to record important deadlines while at school, etc. We'll see how this works out.

[Thekla]

Toasterwater, sounds fantastic... keep it up!

I'm so curious to hear you play now

[Lauxa]

It reminds me of the expert thread... how it takes about 10,000 hours to become an expert at anything. That is about 10 hours a day for 3 years or 3 hours a day for 10 years. Don't get discouraged, but 30 minutes a day won't take you very far along the expert progression for guitar playing.

Are you planning to sing as well? If so, you may need voice lessons as well as guitar.

If you're planning on writing/composing your own songs, you should start working on that as well. I think you have to create a lot of crap before you can pick out a few diamonds from the pile.

I would also recommend reading some biographies (or Wikipedia entries) on rock stars and musicians you admire so that you can get an idea of how they got their start.

Also check meetup.com, because in my town there is a guitar meetup where you can get together with other musicians and discuss/learn techniques, which you might find helpful. If you can meet up with a couple of people for jam sessions on a regular basis it might motivate you to practice more.

Finally... are you sure you want to be a rock star? It seems to involve high notoriety and lack of privacy, having to do lots of marketing and self-promotion, and lots and lots of travel. Picking ME for a major doesn't seem very committed, if you're 100% sure why not pick music theory instead?

[Talkofthatown919]

I'm definitely hear for u and will continue to pay close attention to this thread seems as if there is alot of paper work involved when u get out of the military

[echo]

Toaster, this thread has caught my attention a good deal.

So your long term goal is to live off of doing something you love and enjoy - playing music and expressing yourself to the world. Sounds beautiful man. I connect with that on a big level. So much in fact that I'm an author of a blog that is committed to helping fellows like yourself get the most out of your dreams of being a musician.

3 Fundamentals to Being A Musician

Practice & Self Discipline

I offer these two articles of mine from my blog to hopefully be of assistance to your goal here.

Cheers!

[toasterwater]

Wow, again thanks for the helpful input. That's interesting about the 10,000 hours to become an expert. I'd have to say however, that I'm sure I'll be capable of performing in public before I reach the level of expertise that 10,000 hours will get me- not that I won't continue working at it.

As for the 30 minutes thing... I picked up my guitar this evening, and I believe i spent roughly 3 hours with it. A couple hours by myself, and then my roommate came home, and we jammed a little together as well.

I'm happy to see how easy it was to keep playing. I don't think I'll have to worry about 30 minutes a day. But I do also need to stay committed to my studies and appropriately allot time towards homework and such.

Either way, Day one went pretty well.

Echo! Thanks for the links. I read your articles. Nice site you have put together. Tell me a little more about yourself and your music career if you get a chance.

[echo]

Originally Posted by toasterwater

Echo! Thanks for the links. I read your articles. Nice site you have put together. Tell me a little more about yourself and your music career if you get a chance.

I'm 28. I've played guitar since the age of 10 and taught guitar since the age of 15. I've only been in one band. I'm not famous. I'm not a celebrity, but I've been around a little bit. Teaching music has opened up a world of topics through the kinds of students that I've mentored, and thus serves as the life of my blog.

Hopefully, any of those articles serves you well in your endeavors.

[toasterwater]

Today was a good day.

I was about a half hour late to school, but I didn't care. Half an hour less of not listening to my trig teacher as I work through problems out of the book on my own. If anything, it was pretty relaxing to show up late. Fresh out of the military I LOVE the fact that I can do that... I can just be late, and theres no consequence other than the physical time missed in my class!

Anyway, Great day at school... trig, philosophy, then music appreciation.

after school I ate and then played my guitar for a little bit... maybe about an hour. then I got tired and started to fall asleep, but my roommate came home after having laid down for a while and I got up out of bed and we talked for a while. I sat down and did some trig homework, and I also scheduled my first guitar class for tomorrow afternoon. Yup... 1st class is tomorrow after school. 4 half hour classes, 1 per week, $25 per session. Not sure if that's a good deal or not, but I'm excited about the classes.

I was thinking about my room today, and I think I should furnish it to where I have 2 distinct, and very smoothly functional stations completely ready at all times. 1 "station" as a perfect place to study. A comfortable, supportive chair behind a spacious desk with optional quick access to my computer. The other station (not necessarily in my room... could be in the living room...) is my "garage" so-to-speak. A place to at a comfortable level with guitars and amp in arms reach, with the additional optional accommodation for either my laptop or a book for tablature.

Other than accommodating for those two functions, my room would still have my bed in it, and the rest would just be storage I guess... Still gotta come up with a great way to organize all the random "stuff" laying on my floor. Maybe just drawers and filing cabinets.

Just in case anyone is curious... Starting last night, continuing today I've been learning how to play The Greatest and Best Song in the World Tribute by Tenacious D. It's not too complicated of a song. A few chords that I already know how to play, and a few simple riffs. I just need to hammer out the transitions and timing and put in a few more hours of practice and I should have it down pat. A little more work and I should be able to coordinate singing the lyrics while playing the chords (I can already do that with part of the song).

Anyway, I've got more homework to work on now... so that's it for this update.

[toasterwater]

1 more thing about today that I found very helpful... After waking up when my roommate got home I brewed a pot of coffee. I find the caffeine helps keep my brain moving fast enough to really study hard... and generally stay awake through any activity for that matter. I love the stuff and I think I'm gonna start drinking a lot more of it. Maybe I'll bring a thermos to school everyday with some fresh, strong coffee...

On the topic of coffee... I would like to be able to make some very strong coffee while keeping costs at a minimum. Taste isn't really a priority for me... I'll drink mud if it keeps me wired all day. Any coffee connoisseurs out there with advice for me? Tonight I just dumped in about 2x as much coffee grounds (generic Folgers) as was recommended on the container... I don't know if theres any way to make it stronger or better or cheaper, but I'm definitely open to a lesson on the matter!

Thanks,
TW

[Shane]

I can't really speak with authority about coffee (non-coffee-drinker), but just be warned: The effect can wear off when you drink too much of it. Your system will just get used to a certain dosage of caffeine.

So for productivity, it's probably better to have coffee only occasionally so that you will keep benefitting from it.

[yoopersmith]

TW (et al),

This thread is very interesting...I'd been thinking about taking up the guitar as a hobby, but sort of let go of the idea before even buying a guitar...

...my interest in guitar, was more of a whimish idea like..."Gee, TV and the internet are getting old and boring...hmmm, maybe I should get a guitar to noodle around with....NAHHH!"

Then this thread comes along and sparks my interest again...hmmm, not ready to buy an axe yet...but it's interesting.

Anywho, I retired from the Air Force at the end of 2007, so I have some ideas for you to think about for your military benefits:

- Good for you getting the college paid for...are you using the "New GI" bill that pays you E-5 BAH every month? I might want to use that, and I'd like to hear how it works.

- You should think about making a disability claim through the VA. You might get nothing, but if you get any percentage of disability rating, you can get super cheap health care for the rest of your life...so it is definately worth looking into. You can sumbit your claim up to 1 year after your discharge date. I used the DAV

Disabled American Veterans

to submit my claim and I got 20% disability. This means I can get cheap health care (and a little tax free money) for the rest of my life.

The VA has more benefits for vets that you can tap into when you have time, espesically if you went to desert at all.

- Make sure to get several copies of your military records...all your medals and your personnel file and most important your whole medical record...scan everything...make lots of hard copies, get a fire proof box...or a safe desposit box at a bank...thats important stuff.

I'm sure there are more tidbits for vets that I am leaving out...I will come back as I think of more.

CHEERS!

[Lauxa]

Just wanted to mention that the Khan Academy has online videos presenting many math topics so if you fall behind in trig or don't understand a certain concept that would be a great resource.

[toasterwater]

Thanks Lauxa, I checked out that site and it looks like a really cool resource.

I had my first guitar lesson yesterday. It was awesome. All the time I've spent playing the guitar in my life, and I've never had a lesson on fundamentals until now. Kinda expensive ($25 for a half hour... more expensive than most services I would pay for) but definitely worth it so far. I went ahead and payed for a full month of lessons (1 half hour lesson per week). I figure it can't hurt.

Anyway, I've been playing several hours worth of guitar every day. Definitely not hard to surpass the 30 minute goal I set for my first week. It's easy cuz I'm really enjoying it. Even the simple skill/dexterity building exercises that might seem mundane hold my interest.

I think I need to figure out a way to push myself. Like a physical conditioning program, I need to keep pushing past my comfort level so I can progress.

One of my exercises is something my teacher called a "chromatic exercise" I'm basically just playing an open string followed by the first four frets of each string in succession. The point is just to do it faster while still hitting each note without muting or missing or whatever.

anyway. i think that's it for now. as always, if you have something for me, comment away.