Set Guitar Goals The Smart Way
Set guitar goals the SMART way
It’s hard to focus on learning the guitar by practicing and staying focused. Having goals to keep you motivated are very important to your growth as a guitarist. First, you must set goals. Next, you must stick to those goals. These are the steps in the right direction to becoming the guitar player you always dreamed to be.
A great way to set these goals is using the SMART Goals system. This is where you set goals that are:
- Specific – where you have a clearly defined outcome in mind
- Measurable – where you can measure your progress or achievement
- Achievable – It must be grounded in reality and something that you can achieve
- Relevant – It needs to be relevant to your long-term goals
- Time-Based – Putting a deadline on your goals will give you a reason to take action
Let’s break these goals down by each segment using your desire to learn the guitar.
Specific
This is where you decide what goals in learning the guitar are important to you. Are you brand new to playing? Maybe your goal will be to learn a song by a specific time frame. If you are picking up the guitar again, perhaps your goal will be to brush up on what you already know and commit to getting better by a certain date. Another great goal when learning the guitar is to commit to practicing. Without practice, you aren’t going to go far.
Measurable
Finding a great teacher that will hold you accountable to your goal is a good way to measure your progress. Another great way to measure your progress or achievement is to document it. Keep a journal or record yourself as you learn. Listen to the first learning session and after some time, listen to the latest. You will be able to measure your achievement and see where there is room for improvement.
Achievable
Make sure your goals are attainable. If you have never played the guitar before, don’t expect that you will be playing in front of a live audience within a month. Sure, you can play in front of that audience, but don’t expect to be any good. Small, attainable goals are a great way to start. If you want to learn a new song, give yourself a reasonable amount of time to do so and then get to work. If your goal isn’t realistic within a specific time frame, you are going to give up quickly.
Relevant
These small goals must pertain to your long-term goals. If you intend on learning to be a great player but you are just learning to play, taking the time to learn music theory and chord progression are relevant to everything you will learn going forward.
Time-based
Having a deadline for your goal will help you stay focused and take action. Without a deadline there will always be tomorrow or the day after that, or next week and so on.