A very common issue I see with adult learners is a type of procrastination that’s known as “shiny object syndrome”.
Business Insider defines someone with Shiny Object Syndrome like this: “They're constantly coming up with new projects to take on — and then getting bored with them a week later. They're intrigued by the latest trend and will be quick to implement but not follow through.” (https://www.businessinsider.com/main-types-of-procrastinators-how-to-avoid-accountability-coaches?r=US&IR=T)
Does this sound like you?Are you constantly getting distracted by the next new piece to practice or video to watch or exercise to try? You might even find yourself justify it by saying “it’s good for my sightreading” or something similar! Now, these ARE all good and worthy things to look at, BUT if they distract you away from the action you’re supposed to be taking, what happens is you never make enough progress in one direction to see clear results. This in turn can become demotivating because you don’t feel any true progression over time.
First of all, don’t give yourself a hard time - what this shows is that you’re a highly motivated person and that you’re not afraid to start new ideas and try new things, and that’s really important when you’re learning to play the harp!
The danger however, is that you become a jack of all trades, master of none, because you don’t spend enough time to become truly good at your pieces. A huge amount of the learning with any piece comes from what I call ‘the final 20%’ - that’s the part when the ‘note-learning’ is done, and the actual work on tempo, fluency, phrasing, dynamics etc begins. This is definitely hard work, but ff you always skip over this part, you’ll never improve in this area, and this is what moves you from being a Beginner to an Intermediate to an Advanced player.
So, know that you’ve identified the issue, here are some ideas to help:
Before starting that new thing, ask yourself,
Am I just avoiding doing the hard work on something else?
Is this what I really need right now?
Will it add value to my playing?
What are the pros vs. the cons of doing this?
Will it still be there in a few weeks?
When you have a new idea, talk to your teacher members about it. Ask them what they think, and if it’s a suitable direction for you at this moment in time. They’ll be able to help you see when you’re moving too fast, and help you redirect your attention back to where it needs to be.
Keep a note book with a list of your ideas - write them down and then revisit them when it’s the right time.
Once you get clear on your main priorities, you can make sure that all your actions are truly aligned with your goals, and start seeing real progress!