The following contains excerpts from the book, The Habit Factor (Martin Grunburg).
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we believe that music is much more than mere sound, rather, it is relationships. In the following discussion of habits, there is a correlation to the subject of Leadership, as the first step towards successful leadership begins with leading one’s self well. At our music school in Odessa, Texas we see great value in helping students acquire discipline, routine, and focus in core basics, as this is the only way to achieve mastery in one’s craft. By extension, these lessons will apply in highly beneficial ways in every aspect of their lives.
The book’s opening pages contain several quotes: “You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” (John Wooden) “It makes no small difference to be habituated this way or that way straight from childhood, but an enormous difference, or rather all the difference.” (Aristotle, 342 BC)
The Intersection
“The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a leap in consciousness, call it intuition or what you will, the solution comes to you and you don’t know how or why.” (Albert Einstein)
One of the greatest benefits to studying music and the arts is that these disciplines open up the consciousness of the participant to understanding that goes beyond rational, linear thinking. At our music school in Odessa, Texas we help students develop in these areas.
“We live in a world that separates and labels everything: up/down, wet/dry, soft/hard, strong/weak, ugly/beautiful, success/failure, male/female, happy/sad, start/finish, life/death, rich/poor. And, there is nothing necessarily wrong with this, as labeling helps us define things and certainly helps us to communicate. Where we often can get into trouble, it seems, is when we get stuck on labels or even rules that appear hard and fast…Since we’ve all been mentally conditioned from birth to identify and seek separation, duality becomes this terrific, all-pervasive illusion perpetuated throughout our upbringing. We are conditioned from birth and throughout education to constantly see opposites and not unity.
We value, at our music school in Odessa, Texas, the concept of completing rather than competing. By participating in ensembles and collaborative projects, students learn to value the unique strengths each one brings to the table.
The author encourages people to find rest and relaxation to ‘tap into’ the subconscious mind. “(This might be any habit you may have that shifts your brain wave activity – napping, driving, rowing, jogging or showering, etc.). It is at that moment of complete relaxation…Sleep allows the opportunity to enter and exit the Alpha-Theta level of brain-wave activity. When you lower and harmonize both your heart and brain-wave rhythms (and related electromagnetic energies), the theory is that your mind becomes more attuned to creative insight.”
“Focus is one of the most powerful instruments we have, since focus channels the singular power of our energy. When used strategically, focus can help us achieve remarkable results. It’s been said that a five-watt light bulb can barely light up a closet. Yet, that very same energy (five watts) when concentrated and focused into a laser beam can cut through steel…With applied focus and consistency, your actions are compounded favorably- over time…Similarly, when you set aside 15 minutes a day of reading and studying any subject (in you ‘spare’ time), it can equate to a master’s degree or even a Ph.D. in a given subject matter over the course of several years.”
Another highly important value of studying music and the arts in our music school in Odessa, Texas is the learned skill of focus. The only way to be successful at performance or creativity is highly developed focus of mental and creative energy.
“We all understand the compounding effects of our actions; yet, nearly everyone undervalues them. In fact, it’s rather typical to find people who overestimate what they can achieve in the near term, say one to three years, and underestimate what they can achieve in the long term, say 10 to 20 years. All great achievers (and great companies) seem to merely hit their stride 10 or, more often, 20 years into their endeavors.”
The author asserts that intentional rest is important. “Otherwise, if you fail to purposely rest, relax and meditate, you are left with the same self-perpetuation cycle of activities that yield the same limited results.”
“Here’s a fantastic technique you can use immediately to dramatically improve your focus and productivity: Get a timer and set it for 30 minutes. Commit yourself to working only on a single task during these 30 minutes. By doing this, you immediately filter out all other distractions…the age-old adage, ‘energy flows where your attention goes.”
“Repeated focus, then, applied toward any objective helps to forge the habits necessary to achieve any goal more quickly. The lesson is that it is not necessarily about the amount of energy that makes the difference, but the quality of focus that is applied to the available energy, over time.”
“When it comes to management, there are few behaviors more important than communication.”
“We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.” (Anais Nin)
“Changing your language (internal and external dialogue) requires a shift in focus (directed energy) that alters your perception through repetition.”
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” (Albert Einstein)
“It’s critical to be constantly designing habits today for the goals and ideas of tomorrow.”
“Habit is a language much like music is a language. Therefore, like music, it should be understood, appreciated, taught and mastered. While there are thousands of hit songs, and thousands more to be created and there are even formulas for hit songs, the masters of music are the ones who understand music’s underlying principles. Similarly, you can rest assured the masters of achievement understand the underlying principles of habit.”
“It is interesting to note that while principles and values can outwardly influence your habits, it is your actions and behaviors (consciously applied at first, which become habits) that reveal your inner values and relationship to principles. In simple terms, how you act and think repeatedly displays your values and the principles you identify with , resulting, of course, in the composite of you character.”
“Each of us has hundreds if not thousands of habits in action each day. By intentionally crafting the most important ones with purpose and aligning them with your values and principles, you radically accelerate your success.”
“Mastery, at its core, is the result of developing and refining the essential habits of any particular skillset. Therefore, the highest level of performance or mastery in any endeavor involves mindlessness, or unconscious competence.”
The only way to successfully create or perform is through highly developed training in core competencies. At our music school in Odessa, Texas, we teach students to gain mastery of their craft through sequential layers of pattern/habit development that they can draw upon during high-stress moments, where they don’t have to think as much as respond.
“Here are the Top 6 leading causes of death in the united States: 1) Heart Attack (26%), 2) Cancer (23%); 3) Stroke (5.7%); Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis (5.1%); Accidents (5.0%); Diabetes (3.0%). Of the top six, the first two, heart disease and cancer, account for more than one-half of American deaths. (I included #6 because diabetes is a growing concern in America and continues to rise due to our poor dietary habits as a nation.) What does this have to do with habits? Only everything. Cancer and heart disease are directly tied to our diet and exercise habits.”