Have you ever noticed the language used by a successful person? When you talk to a successful drummer about their goals, they’ll tell you what they plan to do and when they plan to do it. They have a blueprint for action that has definite goals, the tasks necessary to reach those goals and timeframes for completing each task. They avoid using fuzzy language like “I hope to do this someday.” Instead, they treat today as “someday” and they quickly turn their hope into action!
The Language of Success
So why does a successful drummer avoid using non-committal words like “I hope”, “I wish” and “someday”? To begin with, they have no doubt that they will reach their ultimate goal. Once the goal is set, they make a commitment and keep trying until they’ve completed their plan. A successful drummer understands that there will be minor failures along the way. But they are not afraid of trying many different things and learning from their mistakes to reach their ultimate goal.
A drummer who is less committed may be afraid of failing and may, therefore, use cloudy language to provide a way not to fail. After all, a person can never fail if they say “I hope to do this someday.” Accomplished drummers have no fear of failing because they know learning from mistakes leads to success.
A Goal Is A Dream With A Time Limit
To become a better drummer, you must place a time limit on your goals. A time limit forces you to take action. It forces you to do something, even if it’s a small step, toward your 
goal. It may even force you to make mistakes which will help you learn and, ultimately, become successful.
There is a simple process that is used by many successful people to set and meet goals. This process is called L.A.M.P. which stands for Lock on, Act, Manage your progress and Persist. The process and each of the steps are fully described in a book called The Magic Lamp: Goal Setting for People Who Hate Setting Goals by Keith Ellis. If you want to learn more about the magic of goal setting and how you can get better at reaching your goals, pick up a copy of this book.
The steps below follow the L.A.M.P. process to help you convert your dream of becoming a better drummer into action.
- Lock On: Decide on a reasonable goal with a timeframe. For example, “I want to play drums in a band in 3 months.”
- Act: Create an action plan with a list of tasks and dates that will help you reach your goal. Start on your plan as soon as possible. Here are some sample tasks and timeframes:
– Learn a simple drum beat by the end of week 1.
– Play a simple drum beat along with a song by the end of week 2.
– Schedule a jam session with friends by the end of week 11. Get a song list and practice playing along with recordings of the songs.
– Get together with friends and play by the end of week 12! - Manage Your Progress: Track your progress and reward yourself as you complete your tasks. If necessary, adjust your tasks and schedule. Do so carefully and thoughtfully or else your timeframe will turn into “Someday”!
- Persist: Keep striving toward your goal, even if it means taking smaller steps. Do something every day to get closer to your goal. Learn from your mistakes and be patient. You will reach your goal if you continue to try!
Next, we’ll cover a more complete action plan with the goal of learning drums. Try putting your own action plan together and we’ll compare notes!