MasterMind Drummer
Oct 7th, 2024
Newsletter #42
Don’t Forget, You’re In Control… Always
“Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts.”
– Napolean Hill.
Now, before we dig into this tasty little nugget of a quote, I wanted to let you all know that I have just launched MasterMindDrummer.com 2.0.
Not much will change from your perspective, but just know that I have been working on the flow of the user experience (mobile and desktop) when you land on the site, and am REALLY happy with what I’ve come up with for 2.0.
I’ve had a very clear vision right from the start of this journey, of what I see MasterMind Drummer as, and how it is represented through my socials and through the website, and each day I get closer and closer to that vision coming to fruition.
If you get a second, jump over to MasterMindDrummer.com, and have a quick look around. Let me know what you think 🙂
Now let’s get into this week’s topic…
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Everything in life comes down to how well we control our thoughts, as it’s our thoughts that determine our stay-in power for the job at hand.
That job at hand should simply be progressing on and off the kit, in some shape or form, and at all times. Thats it.
This could be general practice, and how long we can stay in ‘the zone’ logging those necessary hours required in order to acquire a new skill, or this could just be the act of sitting down, locking in, focusing, and learning new material for an upcoming show/tour.
But, it could also be referring to how we look after ourselves, too. So, the daily habits and lifestyle choices we make.
These daily ‘micro-decisions’ we face every day have a huge impact on everything we do, and it all comes back to how well we control our mind and our thoughts in the first place.
Think better, do better, do better, and, in turn, make better decisions. Its a momemtum thing.
Everything you do, impacts everything you do.
Consistent exercise, a better diet, less doom-scrolling, a ‘half cup full attitude’ about things in general, a tidy practice space, making your bed, having a daily plan, all of it! All these thought processes start to impact each other. They begin to compound, snowball, then the levee breaks, and everything gets so much easier.
This is why I say, if you want to get better on the kit, dial in your
Health
Wellbeing
Relationships. And if you want a career, your
Business skills.
Do this, and everything on the kit gets much, much easier.
There is another great line that I like too, that covers all this, one I’ve mentioned before –
Attitude Is Altitude
This is another personal favourite.
How you look at any given situation – so the attitude you choose to have towards it – will often determine its overall outcome.
This can be summarized as everything is a lesson and an opportunity to grow, no matter the outcome.
I constantly consider these ideas and make sure I am doing everything in my power to control the input in my life. This gives a clearer mind for better decision-making, which in turn, leads to better output in my life.
Your input will determine your output.
Look, I am not perfect at this stuff. Not at all. Don’t ever think that. I know these things can be read this way. But that is not the intention.
I’m actually innately a very lazy person who loves to over eat. I have a super addictive personality which, in the past, I have used to for bad habits like smoking, drinking, drugs, food, porn, all of it. Oh, and to top it off, I am VERY happy just being on my own, too. So time can just disappear.
The large majority of people deal with these exact same issues.
This is why I do the things that I do now, and why I am such an outspoken advocate for them too, because I know what it’s like.
Just like you, it’s a daily battle for me, too. But what I know is, the more you think about these things, the more it starts to sink in, the more it takes hold, and overall, the easier it all gets.
As drummers, we understand full well that in order to improve at our craft, it comes down to physical and mental repetition work. This is so the body and mind can take to the information we are feeding it…
Well, it’s the exact same for knowledge, too. It’s all in the rep work!
I was just saying this to someone yesterday, that when you come across a profound book, talk, video, or whatever – something that impacts you heavily – don’t just read or listen to it once and then move on. That’s not enough. Read/listen to it multiple times – so 2, 3, 4 times. However many times it takes!
Drill it into your subconscious.
Remember, too, we are not set in stone.
Yes, we are up against the habits we have built up until this point. I get it. But the brain is an incredibly malleable organ. We have learned in recent times that although it’s tough, we can still adapt, and we can still change!
I spoke about this concept many newsletters ago, but this is called neuroplasticity. A relatively recent discovery in brain science.
So what is it?
Well, neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to rewire and reshape itself based on new experiences, learning, and practice. It means that no matter your age or skill level, your brain can create new pathways, making you better, faster, and more capable over time.
In other words, what you focus on, practice, and repeat consistently – whether it’s drumming techniques or mindset shifts – literally changes how your brain functions and operates, and sets new habits, processes, and pathways.
This should be an incredibly exciting revelation.
At all times, you can adapt, and you can evolve, but the work needs to be done at your end, first.
For me, it all boils down to this: you’re always in control and never a victim of circumstance.
– Want to get better at the drums? Great, do it.
“But I don’t have access to my drums” – Use pads.
“But I hate pads” – Then you clearly don’t truly want to get better.
– Want to get healthier? Great, do it.
“But I can’t afford a gym membership” – Go for a run, do 5×20 push-ups, and 5×20 bodyweight squats… Every.Single.Day.
“But I can’t do 5×20 push-ups” – Then do 10×10. Whatever. Just do it.
Want to read more? Great, do it.
“But I can’t read. I can’t slow my brain down long enough to do it. – Rubbish. Be an adult. Put the time aside each day, and start working at it. 5 minutes first. Then 15-minutes, and so on. Practice makes perfect.
Want to eat better? Great, do it.
“But I have my friends’ party coming up, so I will wait until after that” – There is no ‘after that’. It starts now. Tomorrow doesn’t exist. It’s a fabrication. There is only now. Make the decision, stand for something, commit, and follow through.
My whole point here is that you are ALWAYS in control, whether you realise it or not. It’s a perspective thing, and the attitude that goes along with it.
Back to what Mr. Napolean Hill said right at the top of this –
“Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts.”
Control your input, and that will determine the quality of your output.
Set big goals, and to match them, a high bar for the standard of work you put into achieving them.
You’ve got this.
Just a little per-talk this week, reminding you that you have the ability to take any and all of this, as far as you like.
No one is better. No one is worse. We are all the same. Its the attitude, mindset, and work we put in, that determines the outcome.
Don’t Forget, You’re In Control… Always.
I’ll leave you with this rad pic of my youngest, Maximus, up waaaay past his bedtime, after watching my band Black Comet perform over the weekend.
Anyway, that’s it for this week.
As always, thanks for taking the time, and thanks for all your feedback, too. I really appreciate it.
I read them all. So please, if you have any thoughts, send them through, and let’s get a dialogue happening.
Don’t forget… Stay hungry (and stay healthy!)
See you next week.
Stan