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  • Feeling discouraged

    Posted by Dean-Staff on April 23, 2022 at 12:25 pm

    Hi. I just need to vent a little. I’m feeling a little discouraged. I had a great 28 day streak going, then work got in the way. My department lost everyone but me in a matter of weeks. (the other 3 team members all moved on to new jobs) This left me doing most of the work for the past couple of weeks, and I stopped practicing. I feel like I’m back at the beginning. I can’t remember the names of chords.. and feel like I need to start the 30 Days to Play all over again. I know the key is consistent Practice Practice Practice, I just feel like I’ve lost any headway I might have made.

    The fact that this is bothering me so much, actually seem like a good thing to me, because it tells me I still WANT to learn. I just need to find time to focus on the guitar, EVERYDAY, and that’s what I’m finding difficult right now.


    Anyway, enough complaining.

    Dean-Staff replied 2 years, 9 months ago 8 Members · 13 Replies
  • 13 Replies
  • Moonhare

    Member
    April 23, 2022 at 3:25 pm

    Hey there. The most important thing you said there was that the last bit. There are always things that can temporarily derail your routine but don’t worry because you are not in a race. As soon as it is possible just get back to it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going back to the start. You may find it comes back to you quicker than you expected but worst case take it as a reset.

    I was dabbling for 40 years before I joined TAC last year. I got absolutely nowhere beyond a few cowboy chords. Suddenly I found a focus with the 30 day challenge, followed by the extra chords then trying the daily challenges. It doesn’t matter whether you have to restart. The important thing is to recognise the setback for what it is, take a breath and get back on the horse.

    If you want to know what it looks like to do TAC for a year check out my post earlier today on my 1st TACiversary. Hopefully that will inspire you to get back into the routine. But personally I think it sounds like you have already recognised the situation for what it is. Life gets in the way but the guitar can play a part in releasing some of that work stress and bring some welcome distraction and musical wellbeing into your life. Best of luck. Darren (Moonhare). 🤟😎🎸

  • Loraine

    Member
    April 23, 2022 at 6:21 pm

    @Dean-Staff We’ve all had moments of frustration and discouragement. Life tends to have a funny way of derailing our best intentions. I agree with @Moonhare . This isn’t a race. Just do the best you can, even if it’s just practicing a chord or two for a minimum of 10 minutes per day. Everything you’ve already learned is still there and you just need to revisit it for it to come back to you.

  • Mrfredsporty

    Member
    April 24, 2022 at 3:30 am

    im feeling almost the same way and its been only a day!. I dabbled and quit for 50 years and just came back thanks to tac about a month ago.I was learning and relearning a lot and even picked up a flat pick for the first time in my life. I got a new guitar a week ago and yesterday it went in the shop to be tweaked and set up. Its going to be up to week before I get “moose” ( my huge epiphone hummingbird) back so im feeling lost. until I get it back I plan to look at old Tony videos and try to absorb some theory. but its like having brakes slammed on right in the middle of a nice curve.

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    April 24, 2022 at 11:23 am

    Hey @Dean-Staff ;

    Congratulations on getting a great start to your new guitar routine. Congratulations also, on your strong desire to play guitar. That can keep your guitar journey going. Start learning theory and then you can work on the relationships among the notes in your mind while you’re at work. Then, you never leave your guitar journey. Work on finger independence exercises. Buy one of those fretboard exercise things. They are sorta like a guitar without a body. Then you can practice making chord shapes. There are a lot of things you can do to be into your guitar routine even when you’re not at home or don’t have a guitar with you. Buy a travel guitar and take it with you and play it on your lunch break.

    But, fight the tendency to get discouraged. No one can defeat you except you. A quote from the Zen Guitar book is “the only enemy is within”. If I were to recommend one thing to get you into the right head space I would recommend this book. Read it on your breaks. It will inspire you to the point nothing will completely stop you.

    But reality is, some things can stop us from actually playing guitar for a while. That’s why we have to find ways to stay in the game until we can actually play again.

    You’ve already gotten some great advice. I hope this helps also.

    MG 😀

  • tailsawaggin

    Member
    April 24, 2022 at 12:36 pm

    Hey @Dean-Staff ,

    Congrats on the streak you ran, and also, that was a really good rant. It was focused, described your issues and feelings concisely, and didn’t veer into whining and blame. Ranting well is a rare skill, and you brought it. 😁

    I understand your feelings. I also just started a new job, and there have been several day streaks of not playing. I find that frustrating, and I find myself getting on myself because I *should* be playing, and that’s just a downward spiral of self recrimination. Sometimes life just happens, and all we can do is roll with it.

    There’s usually a light at the end of the tunnel though, and I suspect that this too will pass in time. Sure, it’s a speed bump, maybe even a setback, but I think some day you’ll look back on it, and it will be a blip in your journey. You’ve got the right spirit, and the right attitude, and you’ll find your way back to where you want to be.

  • Marty73

    Member
    April 24, 2022 at 5:08 pm

    Like @Moonhare said… it’s not a race… it’s a journey with rest stops along the way. You just his a life rest stop. We all have those. 😊🧙‍♂️😎

  • Dean-Staff

    Member
    April 24, 2022 at 5:29 pm

    Thank you all. I really appreciate the encouragement. @Moonhare Congrats on your TAC-aversary!! I’ll definitely be reading your post.

    @Loraine from now on, whenever life get in the way, I’ll be make 10 a day to at least practice a couple of chord transitions.

    And @Mrfredsporty I’ve named cars and motorcyces, but I had not thought about naming my guitars… until now! have to think of some good names.

    • Mrfredsporty

      Member
      April 25, 2022 at 4:03 am

      Thanks Dean. I too name all my cars. So, when I went from a gentle classical style guitar to my new epiphone hummingbird , it hit me. This thing is a moose, ta da. Thus the naming of my guitar

  • Cadgirl

    Member
    April 25, 2022 at 5:30 am

    It happens @Dean-Staff. People get busy, people get sick and you just can’t get to that guitar. would it help if you just listened to some of the lessons? I’m sure you have some favorites that you wouldn’t mind just listening to and putting together in your head till you get back into the groove of playing.

    Good Luck

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