It’s a fresh week, so I wanted to hit you with something to have a good think about right at the start of it…
Back in 2007, Jojo Mayer dropped his killer DVD Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer, and it genuinely stopped me in my tracks.
If you haven’t seen it, it’s a true Hudson Music classic. Three hours long, double DVD, filmed all over Manhattan, great production, incredible audio, and a real pleasure to watch.
It was the kind of educational content that actually makes you want to sit down and practice.
Jojo had a huge influence on me when that came out. His flow. His grooves. His dynamics. The way he thought about technique, the physics behind every movement, and the obsessive attention to detail… I was in on ALL of it!
Aside from the endless source of inspiration that it gave me, it also reinforced how I approached the instrument too. The level of commitment greatness takes.
So when I came across a recent interview with him, I was all ears. It’s nice to see where your heroes are years later, and how their concepts and ideas have changed over time.
At one point, and very casually, he mentions that he used to practice 10-15 hours a day. No joke.
Not as a brag. Not as a flex. Just a fact. Like it was the most normal thing in the world for him at the time.
And for him, at that level, it totally was.
Now, I must make it clear, I’m not telling you to practice 10 hours a day. Of course not. Most of us have jobs, families, lives that don’t allow for that kind of volume. I get it. And honestly, for most people at most stages, it’s not necessary.
But here’s what struck me about it, and the part that I personally related to the most.
The man was obsessed. Completely and unapologetically obsessed.
And that obsession showed up in the hours he logged every single day. For years, rain, hail, or shine, he showed and got the reps in.
He knew his goals, removed his feelings, and did what he needed to do, daily, in order to achieve them.
I get it. I dig it. I respect it.
The most important thing here? That it’s not talent. It’s simply a decision he made over and over again until it became his identity.
He programmed himself to lock in and do the work, regardless of how he may have felt about it on any given day.
Which brings me to the uncomfortable question.
Can you show up for 30 minutes?
Not 10 hours. Not 5. Just 30 minutes. Can you?
You’d be surprised at what you can achieve with a focused, intentional, and structured 30-min practice block.
A clear goal and with zero distractions.
Do this daily, and EVERYTHING can change. Trust me
In my experience, the people who can’t find even 30 minutes a day are the same people who wonder why they’re not improving. True story. They’ll buy the course, watch the content, understand the concepts, but not actually do the work. Life gets in the way.
The practice pad sits in the corner. The metronome stays off. Then the days, weeks, and months go by…
And guess what, nothing changes.
I say this a lot, but the reps are the thing. They have always been the thing. Not the knowledge, not the inspiration, not the motivation. Just the reps.
All your body and mind ever want is the necessary time to distill the information you want it to take on. That’s all.
Jojo Mayer didn’t become Jojo Mayer because he understood drumming better than everyone else. He became Jojo Mayer because he showed up. Every day. For years.
The Jojo we know, is a result of the work. Nothing more.
Now look, you don’t need to match that intensity – 10-15hrs a day. I’m not saying that. But the reality is, you do need to show up on some level.
Just 30-mins a day. A pad. A metronome. And a clear focus.
That’s it. That’s the whole thing. The consistent, daily work.
The gap between where you are and where you want to be isn’t filled with ‘a secret piece of new information’ or a new piece of gear (we all love new gear). That’s just a distraction from the real needle-mover – the work.
Don’t overcomplicate things. Just commit to a routine that you can show up for daily – rain, hail, or shine, and you will be forever better off for it.
The question has never been whether you have talent or not. That’s the wrong question entirely.
The question is whether you’re willing to show up tomorrow, with a brand-new attitude towards your progress. A new intention. A new focus.
And the day after that. And the day after that. And the day after that.
Because the ones who do, without exception, are the ones that get what they want.
Remember, success leaves clues. Just follow the clues.
I’ll leave it there for this week as I am about to get my reps in myself!
If you enjoyed this little piece of weekly motivation, hit reply and let me know.
Have a great week.
Stay hungry and healthy.
Stan
P.S. Struggling to show up consistently for the things that actually matter? That’s exactly what The Key To Personal Mastery was built for. Learn more HERE