We don't give ourselves enough credit

[ALBD]

Occurred to me that in my drive to be better than I'm probably capable of I forget to appreciate what I've accomplished. Remember to enjoy what you've accomplished now without worrying about how much better you want to be.

Just a thought I had that might be worth sharing

[JSDenvir]

Well said, and a great reminder.

Steve

[rokdog49]

I used to be guilty of that, not anymore.

[HHP]

I'm realistic to know I am not destined to be a great player. But, I play better than I ever though I would and within my circles, I am not thought to suck. I play well enough to entertain myself. I'm OK with all that.

[ALBD]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

I used to be guilty of that, not anymore.

Yea. It's a step you need to take.

[jpd]

I'm guilty of getting caught up in what I'm doing, and not looking back at what I've done. In my case, it's amazing to see what I've accomplished in the last few years....I'd bet a few others have made some remarkable progress too

[Song Writer]

Originally Posted by ALBD

Occurred to me that in my drive to be better than I'm probably capable of I forget to appreciate what I've accomplished. Remember to enjoy what you've accomplished now without worrying about how much better you want to be.

Just a thought I had that might be worth sharing

Yeah, you can appreciate what you've accomplished for like 2 minutes. Go ahead, make it 2 minutes a day if you like. And then it should be back to work. Hard work.

I equate "worrying about how much better you want to be" with the concept of "drive." And that concept has brought me from being a three chord strummer to being a classical player....who now wants to be a better classical player.

I loathe "resting on one's laurels" because it doesn't get any work done. For some, this is the difference between YMMV, your mileage may vary and YMMRV, your mileage may really vary.

[ALBD]

Originally Posted by Song Writer

Yeah, you can appreciate what you've accomplished for like 2 minutes. Go ahead, make it 2 minutes a day if you like. And then it should be back to work. Hard work.

I equate "worrying about how much better you want to be" with the concept of "drive." And that concept has brought me from being a three chord strummer to being a classical player....who now wants to be a better classical player.

I loathe "resting on one's laurels" because it doesn't get any work done. For some, this is the difference between YMMV, your mileage may vary and YMMRV, your mileage may really vary.

I can only have 2 minutes?

[buddyhu]

Originally Posted by Song Writer

Yeah, you can appreciate what you've accomplished for like 2 minutes. Go ahead, make it 2 minutes a day if you like. And then it should be back to work. Hard work.

I equate "worrying about how much better you want to be" with the concept of "drive." And that concept has brought me from being a three chord strummer to being a classical player....who now wants to be a better classical player.

I loathe "resting on one's laurels" because it doesn't get any work done. For some, this is the difference between YMMV, your mileage may vary and YMMRV, your mileage may really vary.

There are many drives that can foster development, and even expertise; one doesn't need to be miserly in one's recognition and appreciation of progress (and perhaps even experience gratitude for the fruits of one's hard work) in order to experience noteworthy (or even phenomenal) development of one's skills and knowledge. Indeed, appreciation can help one play with greater confidence, which usually enhances execution/performance.

I understand that your approach works for you, and probably many others. I'm just saying that is not the only path to excellence.

Also, I think we have to respect that each person has a different space in their life for making music. To map out the extremes: if you have a complex life with multiple other pursuits and responsibilities (say a professional career, a family situation that is temporarily or permanently difficult, a vast network of friends, and at least one other hobby that is equal in value to your interest in guitars and music) the space you have for mastering guitar will have a different shape and size than a person who has a simple life that is strongly oriented towards developing as a musician, finding work as a musician, and spending time in a network of friends who are primarily musicians.

[Song Writer]

Originally Posted by ALBD

I can only have 2 minutes?

Well, I wouldn't spend a whole lot more time on it.

Playing inherently has its own positive feedback loop whether it be strumming three chords, or fingerpicking a Bach invention. I think that self appreciation happens and is immediate when you learn a new technique or chord or song, but doesn't need to be dwelt on to sustain the desire to play and get better. It is its own reward.

[marty bradbury]

Originally Posted by jpd

I'm guilty of getting caught up in what I'm doing, and not looking back at what I've done. In my case, it's amazing to see what I've accomplished in the last few years....I'd bet a few others have made some remarkable progress too

Well said. For me "remarkable" no but am looking forward to slowly getting better this year.

[Pitar]

I never took myself seriously from the start as a musician but I did have some serious respect for the art form. So, instead of seeking musician status I lowered my sights and have been satisfied as just a guitar player.

[D. Shelton]

Obsession has a way of interfering with enjoyment. Where we derive our self-worth from shouldn't, in my opinion, be mostly about accomplishments, but since that's the subject ...

I'd be an amazing player if that's how I'd chosen to spend my time , but I didn't. Not too logical to regret not being amazing, then, but it does pop up.
It's weird, the thing I am amazing at, it just doesn't seem as "cool" (or something) as musicianship, so it's taken time to appreciate my accomplishments in that area. I like being motivated, but not self-critical to the point of non-enjoyment.

[buddyhu]

Originally Posted by D. Shelton

Obsession has a way of interfering with enjoyment. Where we derive our self-worth from shouldn't, in my opinion, be mostly about accomplishments, but since that's the subject ...

I'd be an amazing player if that's how I'd chosen to spend my time , but I didn't. Not too logical to regret not being amazing, then, but it does pop up.
It's weird, the thing I am amazing at, it just doesn't seem as "cool" (or something) as musicianship, so it's taken time to appreciate my accomplishments in that area. I like being motivated, but not self-critical to the point of non-enjoyment.

Nicely expressed.

[Sage97]

Originally Posted by HHP

I'm realistic to know I am not destined to be a great player. But, I play better than I ever though I would and within my circles, I am not thought to suck. I play well enough to entertain myself. I'm OK with all that.

I'm in the same exact place. There are times that I get frustrated and think I suck but there are times that I impress myself by learning songs I've previously labeled impossible.