Quote:
Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru
I tend to be an all or nothing kind of person, and so if I don't have a 1-hour block where I'm good and ready, I tend not to spend anytime at all. I think this is a mistake.
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Agreed. Folks... don't let a lack of large chunks of time deter you. It's more about regularity. Also, setting time goals isn't as useful as setting specific musical goals. In fact, being under a time constraint, say 10 minutes, often helps me snap into focus. "I only have 10 minutes to make some progress on these 3 scales" for example helps me to get the most out of every repetition.
As for "how do I find the time?" I've made the time over the past ten years. When I first moved to the city, I was at University full time and working in the library. Until 2006 I worked retail most days and it was too much. Especially since after coming home I'd be tired and want to spend time with my wife. I got my foot in the door at a teaching studio and picked up some private students from a colleague who was leaving town. Now I can support myself on 14 hours of work a week as opposed to 40. So in a large sense, I made the time to practice.
It's not all roses though. I am still busy with a lot of the same things everyone is. I make sure that when I can sit down, that I am focused and not pissing any time away. I try to limit the time I spend on certain topics and sometimes even put a countdown timer on. I also keep track of what I practice in a journal so I can decide to stay on the topic the next day and look back over the week to see if I want to change my menu.