What is your focus/goal for 2014 ?

I joined this forum more than a year ago and said in my profile,  at that time a few things that weren't true.  First, I said I had been playing since 1978,..that is true and that I quit until about 1997,  that is also  true.   What is not true was that I said I had been seriously thinking about playing again for the past year.  Really?   What had I been doing with my violin since that time?  Practicing?  Listening to others? Participating in   Lessons?  Nope, no and no.    I was choosing instead to  watch the newest serial thriller on Netflix  or to take a nap or be on Facebook, . I was doing anything but activities that had to to with violin. Clearly my actions did not match up with what I said  my focus was.  How can a person say that they have a focus and yet their actions show anything but that?

So what does having a focus look like?  Naturally,  it will be different for everyone but first, you have to have to have goals pertaining to that focus. Be specific with your goals  and then outline steps to achieve.them.  You should not just say I want to play the violin.  That's great but break it down...Classical,  jazz, blues,  or  jamming with country gigs. You get the idea.  So, first decide what genre you want to pursue.  Then figure out how.  Lessons?  online v/s in person or a bit of both perhaps?  What would you hope to gain from those lessons?  Techniques? Scales?  Lessons every week? every other week?   How much time a day are you willing to devote to obtaining your goal?  Most importantly is to establish deadlines for each milestone.  It does not do any  good just to say I want to play in an orchestra.  You could practice for years but until you put a time limit on it, the goal will forever be just a dream.  You instead should say, I want to play in an orchestra by next year or within the next 3 months. 

Thankfully  I really am focused on my violin. I am interested in jamming and seem to gravitate to  Celtic music.  Within the last month  I have taken a new job that allows me so much more time for lessons, in person and on the web.  I have set up a " studio: in my home,  where I can consistently practice. I have been searching the web for lessons and have self taught about music theory. I am very exited and eager to play again because I enjoy it so much.  I have just started to realize what it means to be focused and am in the process of looking at steps with time constraints to reach my goals.

It is my hope that this blog post will help others that seem to be just floating around.  It is also my hope that some of you will reach out to me and hold me accountable.  Ask me what have I done lately to achieve my  goals. Be prepared for a positive answer because truly I am focused now.....