Lots of people skip this step. It only takes 3 to 5 minutes once you learn how to do it, and it can have a huge impact on your practice results.
Why?
Because it trains your brain to focus on a specific result.
There's been many studies that show writing down goals increases the likelihood they'll be achieved. By a lot.
Now, there's a specific way you're going to want to do this. It's not the “normal” goal setting process. It gets much more specific. Much more in depth. And it gets results.
But I'll get into all of that in the video…
How To Use The 6-Step Goal Setting Process
(note: this video course started out as a book, so that's why I refer to “the book” sometimes)
Key Points
- Plan out which sections your going to work on at the beginning of each week
- Plan out which strategies you’re going to use and follow the plan
- Record your results
- Use a Master List to keep track of where each section is in the learning process
PDF's
Feel free to print and use these PDF's (I was actually emailed these by a student who's killin' it)! Feel free to use them; you may have to modify them a bit depending on your exact situation:
Action Step:
Today, I don't want you to practice.
Make your ONE goal for today to figure out this goal setting process.
Because the first time you do it… it'll take a while.
You'll likely have to go back to the video multiple times to remember exactly how to do it. Don't worry… the first time takes WAY longer than any time after.
But I want you to do it right the first time. To make sure you have it down-pat for every time you do it from here on out.
Now, I know you haven't actually learned the “Accelerated Learning Techniques” yet… so don't worry about writing those in. You can write those in as you go through the remainder of this course.
But do the rest of the steps. Take a song, split it out section by section, and start coming up with your goals for each section.
Now, realize you're not going to know exactly how long it'll take to complete each goal. So don't get hung up on trying to plan it out perfectly.
So let's do it for our C Major Scale. Please note, since you're first learning these strategies, you probably won't actually follow this goal sheet to a T. Because the purpose learning the C Major Scale for this course is to run through ALL the techniques, and learn the techniques themselves.
So treat this goal setting example as an exercise; just to make sure you GET IT.
Step 1: First, take out a piece of paper and set up your Goal Sheet.
Step 2: Break up the C Major Scale into sections. For example, you might break it up into:
1. CDEF (Section A)
2. GABC (Section B)
3. CBAG (Section C)
4. FEDC (Section D)
Now, normally in a song, your sections would be longer than 4 notes. Probably closer to 4 measures. But, just to get the idea for how it works, break it up into the sections mentioned above.
Step 3: Ok, now go to your goal sheet and write in what day of the week you're going to practice each section (remember, this is just an exercise).
Step 4: Next, write goals for each day. For example, Day 1, for Section A might be “Learn Section A, Slowly Hands Separate”. By Day 5, your goal might be “Section A Hands Together @ 70BPM”.
Step 5: Normally, you'd write out your the strategies you're going to use to complete this goal. Well, that's what you're going to learn in this course! So don't worry about it for now, but just know it's there.
Step 6: Normally here, after your practice session, you'd write the results of how you did. Again, since we're just using this as an exercise, you don't have to write anything here. Just realize it exists.
Alright, now you've done the goal setting process once! It should be easier to implement into a song now that you've got it under your belt.
Tomorrow we'll start diving in to the actual practice strategies themselves… the fun stuff!
See ya then,
-Zach
More Supercharge Lessons
Lesson 1: Intro and Overview
Lesson 2: The 3 Golden Rules to Efficient Piano Practice
Lesson 3: 6-Step Goal Setting Process
Lesson 4: Chunking Strategies
Lesson 5: Rhythm Strategies
Lesson 6: Metronome Strategies
Lesson 7: Added Measures Strategies
Lesson 8: Style Variation Strategies
Lesson 9: Mental Practice Strategies
Lesson 10: Arpeggio Practice Strategies
Lesson 11: Octaves Practice Strategies
Lesson 12: Large Leaps Practice Strategies
Lesson 13: Real-Life Examples
Lesson 14: Complete Review