We Can Do Anything When We Start Small

Something I find I am constantly telling my newest to most advanced students is to start small. Not until we master the small chunks can we hope to add on. We must enjoy the process and the journey and not be worried about how quickly we get to the end result. All good things take time.

This concept seems to be easier said then done, and yet holds the key to every aspect of our lives. 

Start small, don't rush and make it daily.

I have been working my way through the Suzuki Piano Books. There are times I hit a wall and just feel like I'm not improving at all and each time I play the pieces they come out sounding exactly the same. Why? I am enjoying playing the pieces from start to finish but am forgetting to isolate the small sections that I could master more fully in order to bring the whole piece together. 

Even though I teach the starting small concept daily, it can definitely be difficult to facilitate, mostly because playing the piece from start to finish is so much fun! As soon as we isolate the small chunks to practice though, we are eliminating any road blocks or hiccups from the finished product. We are fully mastering the piece.

Start small, don't rush and make it daily.

Not rushing is just as important as starting small. We cannot expect that after one practice session on the small chunk will we be ready to put it back into the piece and have it be flawless. We must give it time to settle. Consider this:

Can we expect that after one run, we will lose those 10 pounds?

Can we expect that after a baby says "momma" for the first time that we can stop encouraging them to say it again and again?

Can we expect that after one crochet class that we can complete any crochet project?

Can we expect that after one watering we will have a beautiful blooming garden?

Absolutely not!

Things take time. This is definitely hard to except sometimes. We all want instant results. But that is not realistic and that is not life. Everything we do that is a step in the right direction, towards something good, takes times. It's interesting to note though that everything we do in the wrong direction towards something bad, can be instant.

Can we expect that after eating Mcdonalds we will get a tummy ache?

Can we expect that after saying one bad word in front of your child that this is the word they will repeat instantly?

Can we expect that if we don't go to that crochet class our skills will plateau?

Can we expect that with no water or sunshine that our garden will never flourish?

Why of course!

The bad things in life will happen whether we plan for them or not. What we do have control over are the good things. We must work for all the good things we want in our lives. Decide with it is you want, then start small, don't rush and make it daily. We can all find happiness if we start small, don't rush and make it daily.

I look forward to continuing to help teach everyone how to start small and not rush in their violin playing. I hope to hear about how you can use this concept in other areas for your life!