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How I TAC- Layton L
How I TAC
1.) How many days per week do you play?
I’ve committed myself to executing my routine 5 days a week (Mon-Fri). My routine is built around behavioral science hacks from Acoustic Tuesday. The goal of my routine is to maximize the success of forming an unconscious longterm habit through repetition and consistency. I then treat the weekend as a reward not an obligation. Focusing on having fun, playing what feels good and what I want to play.
2.) What time of day do you play?
To maximize consistency and reduce distractions in my guitar routine, I give myself plenty of time before work each day. The first act of my day once I wake up is to pour a cup of coffee, head to the guitar den, and play at 6:00am. If I have to leave for work earlier, then I start practicing with at least an hour before leaving. This routine gives me enough time to practice and ground myself for the day ahead.
3.) Where do you play?
After grabbing a fresh cup of joe, I head straight for the guitar den/wife’s office without my phone. No phone is key as to reduce distractions. Especially on difficult days that are out of my comfort zone. The den/office is humidified allowing me to grab my guitar first thing off of its stand.
4.) What was your guitar life like before having a guitar routine & how has implementing a consistent guitar routine helped you? (if possible name 3 ways).
Before implementing a consistent and well thought out guitar routine, my guitar life was much more plateaued. It’d get hot and fizzle out followed by a flatline. This resulted in short sporadic growth and a poor feeling following a majority of my practice sessions. Feeling discouraged because I wasted most of my time searching and trying to figure out what to practice came with not actually practicing and growing as a player.
Consistency- The established routine increased my consistency by reducing decisions necessary to start practicing. I wake up, pour a morning cup, and walk to the guitar den. That’s it (other than saying good morning to my cat, Gus TT Showbizz, he gets cranky if I ignore him).
Also, being the first thing I do in the morning I consistently get my 10 minutes completed before life happens.
Focus- With help from the TAC daily lesson my intentions are set in stone. My routine emphasizes cutting out distractions and decisions allowing me to fully focus. This intense focus is strictly on the daily lesson maximizing my time practicing.
Progress- Each day the daily lesson pushes my comfort zone. Either learning a new technique or honing a previous skill. The different variety broadens my guitar knowledge leading to consistent growth. My progress is documented by identifying the small win of the day. A great way to end a practice session on a high note.
5.) Bonus Question: What is one non-guitar item that is a must have in your guitar routine?
Coffee, a TAC favorite but not only is coffee delicious, it is my anchor point of my guitar routine habit. Coffee is my homework the night before. Before I end the night I reinforce my routine by prepping my coffee maker to auto brew at 5:55. Which streamlines my morning with one less step between waking up and my routine. This allows me to continue my guitar journey everyday before life happens.
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2 Replies
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Hi @Lange22 (Layton). I really like how you spelled everything out (almost literally) in your routine – very nicely done! 👍👍💙 I also see that Gus really is all about the “Showbizz” 😎
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Thanks @Bill_Brown the process of thoroughly planning my routine has strengthened my practices greatly. Yes, the extra “T” is for extra talent lol, and he has the attitude for showbiz 😆
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