I'm not one for New Year's resolutions. I really think they exist to set us up for failure. Thankfully(?) this year I don't even need to think about resolutions because my agenda is set for the next few months:
1. Write dissertation.
2. Practice a lot.
3. Plan Lecture Recital.
4. Practice some more
5. Play some great shows
6. Practice some more
7. Present Lecture Recital and Final Defense ( it really does sound final, doesn't it?)
8. Remember to breathe.
As I wrote this, I realised that the most important thing for me to do is the last thing on my list - Breathe. Because in taking just a little time to breathe, I can remember why I'm doing this, why I'm upending my life for the next 3 months, savour some small moments with my partner and children. And yet, that's the hardest thing for me to do. To make that one tiny priority, that biological and emotional necessity happen.
As a brass player, I talk a lot about breathing to my students, amongst my colleagues. But I haven't been talking to myself about it much. At least not lately. So if I do have a resolution this year, it's to breathe and to allow this to happen. Because no matter what goes on in the next few months or how hard this academic stuff gets, my success rate at getting through these things is actually 100%. If I breathe.
1. Write dissertation.
2. Practice a lot.
3. Plan Lecture Recital.
4. Practice some more
5. Play some great shows
6. Practice some more
7. Present Lecture Recital and Final Defense ( it really does sound final, doesn't it?)
8. Remember to breathe.
As I wrote this, I realised that the most important thing for me to do is the last thing on my list - Breathe. Because in taking just a little time to breathe, I can remember why I'm doing this, why I'm upending my life for the next 3 months, savour some small moments with my partner and children. And yet, that's the hardest thing for me to do. To make that one tiny priority, that biological and emotional necessity happen.
As a brass player, I talk a lot about breathing to my students, amongst my colleagues. But I haven't been talking to myself about it much. At least not lately. So if I do have a resolution this year, it's to breathe and to allow this to happen. Because no matter what goes on in the next few months or how hard this academic stuff gets, my success rate at getting through these things is actually 100%. If I breathe.
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