Whenever I'm given a task like say, an essay or a blog report *cough*, I catch myself getting distracted. Not distracted in the usual sense that one thinks of the word, ie, loud music, lots of input, stress, but in that i get distracted by my own thoughts. Over the years I've just assumed that it's because this is the way my brain is wired, because it seems like a thing that happens to most teenage kids I know. Just recently though, I've noticed a very key aspect of the way that I think, and whenever I remind myself of it, I'm instantly able to do better at the task. Hopefully this simple realization will help someone else like me out too.
Ok, I first made the big realization when I started learning how to play guitar. This was about a month ago, and started just noodling around with notes and how chords sound, (I already knew how to play bass so I had developed a rough concept of how to play guitar). As I noodled around trying to learn how to play, I realized that I didn't get frustrated whenever things got difficult, I just kept doing them over and over. This seamed odd because, an hour before that, I was trying to study for math. Frustration took over, and I got pissed and decided to do something fun. That thing being guitar. Think about this for a second. Why is guitar fun, and math not? After all, math is like a tricky puzzle, like a Sudoku, and those are fun. It incorporates complex patterns and algorithms that all lead to a nice answer and a reward. Guitar is the same way. You practice and do boring things; you keep trying and thinking and it's frustrating, but there is a great reward in the end.
If I were to pretend that those two things are completely alien to me, (guitar and math), neither would seem superior.
They both sound really radical when you just think about it, right?
So this is what I have begun doing. I look at the homework problem, song, or video all as if it were alien. Then I am able to objectively see the value in it. If you try this, you might enjoy most things you do a whole lot more. Or at least appreciate them more. That's nice too.
-Phocter Dill
Ok, I first made the big realization when I started learning how to play guitar. This was about a month ago, and started just noodling around with notes and how chords sound, (I already knew how to play bass so I had developed a rough concept of how to play guitar). As I noodled around trying to learn how to play, I realized that I didn't get frustrated whenever things got difficult, I just kept doing them over and over. This seamed odd because, an hour before that, I was trying to study for math. Frustration took over, and I got pissed and decided to do something fun. That thing being guitar. Think about this for a second. Why is guitar fun, and math not? After all, math is like a tricky puzzle, like a Sudoku, and those are fun. It incorporates complex patterns and algorithms that all lead to a nice answer and a reward. Guitar is the same way. You practice and do boring things; you keep trying and thinking and it's frustrating, but there is a great reward in the end.
If I were to pretend that those two things are completely alien to me, (guitar and math), neither would seem superior.
They both sound really radical when you just think about it, right?
So this is what I have begun doing. I look at the homework problem, song, or video all as if it were alien. Then I am able to objectively see the value in it. If you try this, you might enjoy most things you do a whole lot more. Or at least appreciate them more. That's nice too.
-Phocter Dill