Three Days Down

Eighteen more to go.

They say it takes three weeks to create a habit.

Well, shit. I just read that article and the whole premise of this post is pretty much shot to all hell.

But that's okay, too. Realizing that you're wrong and that you have to re-examine your worldview. In a lot of ways, you have to work to make it a habit not to get stuck in a perspective that is incapable of flexibility.

What habits would I like to form?

Keeping the house clean.

Practicing drums daily.

Digging in to the difficult projects at work instead of just cherry-picking the easier tasks.

Actively listening instead of tuning out and only catching the (perceived) highlights of a conversation.

Putting down the phone.

Blogging.

Three days down... just gotta keep writing. Just gotta keep flexing that creativity muscle. It will help a lot of different aspects of my life. Just getting it on to the page, whatever "it" is...

Three doors down... wait... days...

Three days down.

Break Through the Wall... and some Goals

It's fun to surprise yourself. To come up against a self-imposed wall and smash through it. Even if it's just on a run of the mill training run on a Tuesday in May...

If you keep pushing yourself past what you think you're capable of, you can't help but become more fit, become a better songwriter, develop a more entertaining and engaging stage presence.

Incremental improvement. Fastidiously measured and notated. Keep track of the time and distance run. Be aware of time spent strumming, writing, singing, developing your art. Test the recipe then do it again.

By the end of 2012, I would like to:

- Complete a sprint triathlon
- Have 5 Go-To recipes under my belt
- Record at least 10 songs
- Perform my acoustic material at least 6 times
- Finally have a clean house

Incremental improvement. Baby steps. And always be grateful and motivated and never take anything for granted.

Oh yeah... bomb haircut today... I am a rockstar...

Slowly But Surely

My room is dirty. I don't know how to play guitar. I can't run a mile without stopping.

I picked up a sock. I picked up a guitar. I picked out a pair of running shoes.

I turned on the TV. Wow, drums are cool. I'm too tired to get out there today.

I picked up my clothes and did some dusting. Hm, this tab is getting easier. Another slow run, but I'm feeling better.

More arranging. I just wrote another song. Going for a personal best in my 5K tomorrow.

...

It seems like things happen all at once, but they really happen slowly. As long as I take the right steps towards my goals, I can achieve them.

Yes, it's cheesy. No, it's not sexy. Yes, it takes a lot of hard work. No, it's not easy.

Yes, slowly... but surely.

Cleaning...

... is very tiring.

Especially when done correctly.

Rachel and I don't clean very often, which is a bad habit I'm hoping to break.

It's amazing how many old memories you come across while cleaning.  Receipts that take you back to a specific time in your life.  Old mail that jogs your cranium into nostalgia.  Knick knacks that you acquire without even thinking about it.  In my case, there are plenty of guitar picks and old show tickets and memorabilia from Chase's first couple weeks that send me strolling down memory lane...

The guitar pick that I used for the OC Music Magazine showcase at the Yost in Santa Ana while I was playing with Gregory Brock...

My ticket for the Pixies Doolittle show at the Palladium last November...

Chase's pictures from the newborn photoshoot we had while we were still at Hoag over a year ago...

I guess that's one of the positives of cleaning so infrequently.  All those memories lying around, just waiting to have the dust swept off of them...

*sidenote: When the heck did it become almost DECEMBER!?!?!