Purpose.PLAN.Action
– Your Path To Success (#ResultsGuaranteed)
Well, I promised you we would pick this back up eventually, and here we are. Today is the day!
The EPIC 3-Part mini-series ‘Purpose.Plan.Action’, is kicking back off today, and I’d wager it’s probably right at the point where you’ve forgotten about Pt. 1, right?
Do you actually remember what we discussed in Pt. 1? (Newsletter #3)
The idea of having a Purpose?
Well, in simple terms, I was discussing the value of having direction. Making sure you’re not floating through life like ‘a boat without a rudder’, as I put it.
If you don’t know where you are going in life, then there is a high chance you’re actually going nowhere. Ouch bro!
Or worse yet, you could be doing someone else’s bidding, instead of your own.
“If you’re not fulfilling your own purpose, chances are you’re fulfilling someone else’s…”
Now, before we kick off, I want to mention something else, too…
I pointed out in the Purpose newsletter, that I discovered my purpose young. I was lucky.
My purpose was pretty clear-cut to me, it was simply to become the best drummer I could, within the short time I have here on this planet. That’s it.
I am on a daily mission to become the player that I can see and hear in my head.
From day one, I’ve felt this message to my core.
My life has changed in soooooo many ways since my entry into the drumming world at the tender age of 13.
The obvious two main ones being my wife, and my 3 kids. 
My family is everything. They are my driving force.
I feel it’s pretty easy to stay motivated when you have the strong gust of family love and support under your sails, holding you up, and propelling you forward.
BUT, let me make it clear, they are not my purpose.
I was led to them through my purpose, yes. But they are not my purpose.
They are my life, they are my everything, but they are not my purpose.
The pursuit of my purpose directs me through life, like a guiding hand, and along the way I am presented with people, places, and opportunities. Its fantastic.
But this is all a byproduct of that purpose.
There is almost a blind faith in it all, and intuition plays a very important role too. I trust the process.
I’m a ‘one-path’ kind of guy, and everything good that has happened in my life, eg. My wife and kids, my health, mindset, business opportunities, friends, network, experiences and opportunities, all of it, has stemmed from the pursuit of this purpose.
I show up for the drums, and in turn, they show up for me.
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So…….. What’s the Plan Stan!?!
Great question.
Now, when it comes to making a plan towards achieving that purpose, things have to be considered in a sensible and systematic way.
It’s the only way to get results.
You can’t just wing it, and hope for the best. That’s amateur hour, and will guarantee failure on all fronts.
“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” – Pablo Picasso
What I want to do today is give you some ‘straight-down-the-middle’, practical advice.
No fluff.
It’s a simple 3-Step process that I came up with a few years ago, to help create a plan, and streamline your practice time in the most efficient way possible.
Let me introduce you to –
FOUNDATION | APPLICATION | EXPLORATION
So a few years back, and once again, while standing in front of my coffee machine at the roastery, these three words just slapped me upside the brain.
This system will help break through any ceilings you may have looming over your practice time, purely through organising the time you have in a more structured way.
So, let’s break it down…
Firstly, you have FOUNDATION.
Foundation is where it all begins. (Hence the name, duh)
For example, if we are talking about a new sticking we are trying to grasp, or a new concept we are trying to approach, or maybe even a new technique we haven’t used before, it’s essential to start with a strong foundation. Right?
Of course!
Well, in this phase, it’s purely about the movements themselves. That’s it. Nothing more.
It’s just about familiarising yourself with the movements required to execute the desired goal.
Let’s say you’re working on a simple sticking pattern like R l l K, then in this case, you would focus purely on what these movements are, without worrying about anything like tempo, structure, speed etc. Just the movements.
Click HERE for example.
We are slow, methodical, considered, and straight off the bat we focus on quality movements, as well as full range of motion.
Do not rush this phase. Having a strong foundation is absolutely crucial when learning and adjusting to something new.
Take your time.
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The second phase is APPLICATION.
Alright, now it’s time to do the real work.
Are you ready? Of course you are.
In this phase we need to set some rules.
We need to build some structure around the pattern / idea / sticking, to make sure stick that we have a strong body/mind connection.
Can we actually execute this pattern correctly? As we’d intended?
Do we have the ability to execute it on repeat, without sacrificing quality and control?
So, in this case, just playing the pattern over and over is the first set of rules we are establishing here, for this APPLICATION phase.
Click HERE for example.
Without a doubt, the application phase is the most important phase, and to be honest, it’s the most overlooked.
Why?
Because this is where the ACTUAL work gets done.
I call this ‘grunt work’.
This is where you turn coal into diamonds, which can only be done through pressure, and over long periods of time.
This phase weeds most people out, purely because it requires most of your time and focus.
You should be spending 95% of your overall practice time here, in this APPLICATION phase.
In simple terms, its reps, reps, reps.
I’ve said this for a long time, you may have heard me bleed on about it before already, but…
Time + Effort = Results
People don’t seem to realise that true mastery of anything is determined by how long you are willing to spend with it, in the APPLICATION phase.
“Extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus.” – Gary Keller
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So, we are deep in the Application Phase now.
So, how well do we really know this sticking?
Well let’s take this phase one step further. Let’s set some more rules!
Lets create a rhythm or a pattern with it, and put it to the test.
How about this?
R l l k R l l k R l l k R k R l l k R l l k R k R l l k R l l k
Click HERE for example.
Great, we did it. Now just lock it in and sit with it for a while.
As I mentioned, the APPLICATION phase is all about making sure you have a strong cognitive and physical connection, to show you have true control over the concept or idea.
You need to prove to yourself that you can actually do what you set out to do.
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The third and final phase is EXPLORATION.
“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.” Dalai Lama.
It’s time to break the rules now.
It’s time to let them go and start to apply what we learned, but in our very own unique way.
This phase is all about you and your voice.
It’s about exploring your creativity with the new tools you have acquired through the APPLICATION phase.
This phase is about taking risks, experimenting, thinking outside your comfort box, being open to falling over, and trying this new concept out in and among your existing arsenal of ideas, but in fun and interesting ways.
Click HERE for example.
Have you tried it here? Have you tried it there? Could you apply it on the bell of the ride and the hats? How about a snare and hats? Whatever you can come up with, give it a go.
Everyone talks about trying to ‘find their voice’ on this instrument, but the reality is you already have a voice on it, it’s just whether you like it or not.
Your voice is simply the expression of your ideas and concepts you’ve worked on, and then drilled into your arsenal.
You want a better, more interesting voice? Spend more time in the APPLICATION phase, with interesting ideas and concepts.
Spend long periods of time with them. Drill them in.
Remember too, as I’ve said before, creativity is a byproduct of facility and inspiration.
Nurturing both of those, you’ll always be strengthening your unique voice on the kit.
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So that’s it this week, the PLAN portion of our 3-Part epic saga.
We made a plan, to conquer the sticking R l l k, and then used my 3-step method of
FOUNDATION | APPLICATION | EXPLORATION
to make sure we absolutely maximized our practice time, drilled it in, and then added it to the arsenal.
Remember, when it comes to success in anything, you can’t just wing it and hope for the best. That’s amateur hour, and will guarantee failure on all fronts.
You need a plan. So make one, and then deliver on it.
Its your Path To Success (#ResultsGuaranteed)
Stay Hungry, see you next week.
Stan
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