The first of this 2-part blog post deals with the wrong type of motivation. In the next post I’ll go deeper into the 2 types of motivation and how to use them the right way.
 
I’m going to begin today’s post with another college experience.

[Disclaimer: I do remember some great things about school, mainly the camaraderie and available educational resources but the negative experiences I had far outweighed the benefits. I chalk it up as being in the wrong school and not the school environment in general. I don’t want to make it seem as though I’m against the school system. Any good system can be broken.]

I specifically remember the first class I took with the chair of the department. This was a class where we would be presenting every week. In general, he had been fairly warm to the students who had presented. So when it came to my turn I was nervous but fairly confident. Outside of class I also felt like we had a pretty decent rapport developing.

My presentation came as a shock; I was caught off guard. He relentlessly peppered me with questions, often viciously pointing out the most minor, trivial details. I had no idea what was going on. I literally began to think he hated my guts. After my presentation was over (I didn’t even get through halfway) I felt crushed.

Destroyed, humiliated.

Later, a fellow student (already years into his degree and more experienced than me) could tell how bothered I was. So I was grateful to him when he took me aside and said it was the teacher’s way of showing he actually thought you had potential. He was basically tough on “good” students and very lenient and kind to “bad” students.

But this revelation didn’t make me feel any better. The only question that kept recurring in my mind was, “who on this green planet would feel motivated this way?” That was the PG-rated question.

There is a HUGE problem with this type of motivation. Not everyone likes it, especially me. More often than not, people hate it. [Actually, that’s not entirely true. On a football field? Probably. A class in front of my academic peers? Heck no.]

Treating another human being like this is utterly ridiculous and detrimental. How do you expect your brightest employees or students to work hard for you when you demean and embarrass them? Not all of us are masochists.

So I wasn’t “pumped” or “excited” to ace my next presentation. I was more tempted to see how fast I could make his head bounce off the wall.

Motivator? He was more like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Later that semester I saw him “motivate” another student the same way. The poor girl took it far worse than I did. In the back of my mind I sarcastically thought, “another student with ‘potential’ eh?”

De-motivation at its finest.

Unfortunately, this was a big factor that went into my decision to quit school. Did I really want to deal with this guy for the next few years? Not to mention he was in charge of the entire department! And if you’re in a similar situation, please don’t let monetary compensation or educational achievement be the end-all. I remember being hired for a group piano class with pretty good pay. Afterwards I quickly realized the coordinator who hired me was the same type of “motivator.” I happily quit after a month.

No amount of money or award is worth feeling that miserable.

You can’t treat people all the same because EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. Every student is unique. In my piano studio I can’t teach everyone the same way. It just doesn’t work and it’s the same with motivation.

So how do we motivate the “right” way?

Stay tuned for my next post!

Ten of the most memorable pieces from the Star Wars films have been arranged in traditional five-finger style, with the melody split between the hands, and without key signatures in the solo part. Starting hand positions are illustrated above each piece. Fingerings that are outside the noted five-finger positions and those indicating a shift in hand position are circled for easy identification. Dotted quarter notes, triplets and sixteenth notes have been avoided. All of the melodic arrangements have optional duet accompaniments created to achieve a fuller, richer musical experience. Titles: Across the Stars ("Love Theme") * Anakin's Theme * Cantina Band * Duel of the Fates * The Imperial March ("Darth Vader's Theme") * Luke and Leia * May the Force Be with You ("The Force Theme") * Princess Leia's Theme * Star Wars ("Main Title") * Yoda's Theme.

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In our personal and professional lives it’s certain that if you want to get somewhere, you need a goal. Not having a measurable outcome can set you up for failure; you need a target to hit, a bull’s-eye. But the downside to this approach is that in order to have long-term success, you need to operate outside of your comfort zone. A lot. And that means dealing with that constant, nagging feeling of uncertainty.

I believe that if you are committed enough, you will accomplish your goals. But how you get there and what you will do isn’t always clear. The results may completely surprise you and your goals might actually change.

For example, take my blog posts. This may not surprise you, but I usually don’t know what I’m going to write about next. This doesn’t mean I don’t write down ideas. Sometimes I have future topics lined up, sometimes I’ll go for days where I have no idea what to write about and sometimes I’m ping-ponging back and forth between certain topics.

Yet I make sure to sit down at the computer every day. No matter what. Sometimes writing like a madman, sometimes staring at a blank screen like a zombie.

Although it doesn’t feel good, more often than not everything comes about organically.

Most successful people have the following trait in common: an unwavering faith in their abilities that is borderline delusional. They’re overwhelmingly positive and confident.

But they’re also realists; they know it’s not all rainbows and roses. They’re resilient.

It’s easy to be in a productive state of mind. What’s hard is when it’s not working for you and you don’t know why.

Don’t stop.

It’s a shame to see people give up so soon. They don’t realize that sometimes they’re just a tiny step or two away from achieving their goals.

Did you ever hear the parable about the gold miners? To make a long story short, there were these miners who dug for months without a single shiny object to show for their efforts. As soon as they give up, along come other miners who immediately strike gold in the same area. All they had to do was dig another inch.

One inch!

Then again, sometimes you think it’s right around the corner, but surprise! There are a few more miles to go…

So stay the course but don’t be a fool about it. Take equal time for self-evaluation. Try to find out if you’re an inch away or on a treadmill to nowhere.

Here’s one way to deal with uncertainty: just expect that unforeseeable events will happen.

The only thing you can be certain about is that the bad will always follow the good. You just don’t know what kind of bad to expect. There will be slumps. There will be difficulties. There will be personal, family, financial and emotional problems. Pure chaos.

Or maybe just minor annoyances. Little flies to be swatted down.

In any case, just know that “winter is coming.” A full-blown blizzard or light snow. Do yourself a favor and get used to it!

If I’ve been in a “flow” state where everything is clicking for me in piano, writing and teaching, I just know I will fall out of rhythm soon. I don’t look forward to it, yet I’m also anxious at the same time. As cheesy as it sounds, there’s always sunshine after the rain. I know I’ll grow (somewhat) or learn (something). Many of my strongest epiphanies and realizations happened after feeling lost and confused for months at a time.

Spring comes after winter.

So get 100% comfortable with uncertainty, stop trying to predict the future. It’s going to happen for you and you won’t know exactly how you’ll get there or how you’ll do it.

Prepare to expect the unexpected. Don’t let things get you down. Long-term progress is bumpy, riddled with detours, obstacles and flat tires along the way. Be prepared for the long run or you won’t make it.

As counterintuitive as it sounds, get some more uncertainty in your life. When most people zig, make sure you zag.

Happy practicing.