What am I gaining?

How do you react to mistakes or failure? In a positive and constructive way, or in a negative fashion?

I have wrestled with my own negative thoughts, harsh self-criticism, and self-condemnation throughout my career, which at times depleted my confidence, courage, and enthusiasm for music. However I found that I could turn this all around when I looked at what each mistake was teaching me, as opposed to judging my own performance.

I mentioned adopting a “Growth Mindset” in last week’s quote. By taking this perspective into every concert I played, I realised that I would never be a finished product as a performer. I could continue to learn and develop through every error and get better for it, rather than getting worse because of it.

I have never performed a perfect concert in my life (and I’m not betting that I ever will!), so this means that there is always room for continued growth, both professionally and personally. Each concert we play is just another point on our career trajectory, and does not define our abilities or us as people, even if we have the occasional shocker!

Mistakes are there to benefit and serve us as musicians, showing the areas where we lack skill, knowledge, or experience. They give you a much clearer idea on what to work on in the practice room to get better! So next time you make a mistake, ask yourself “What can I learn from this? How does this serve and benefit me? What can I do next time to achieve a better result?”

Be grateful for every mistake you make, it is only leading you to your next break-through, and is a stepping-stone to success!