One of the principles of life that has been hard for me to put into practice is taking advantage of compounding interest. We have some investments and hopefully that growth from compounding interest will mean we have enought to live on after we can no longer work… at least for a month!
But a similar principle can be applied to daily life, too. It’s something that compounds but I think of it more like simple addition.
Strategy + Consistency + Patience = Growth
I am trying to apply this to my music- music production, music composition, music ministry and music business. If I follow a sound stategy, work on it regularly and frequently and resist despair and the temptation to stop, then there will be growth.
Growth will come in two ways-in personal growth and in achieved goals. I stay away from the word “success” because it is so often associated only with material or financial gains. But we get so much more with strategy, consistency and patience.
A good example of this, and one that is commonly used, is physical training. Go to the gym on day-one and feel like a fool. Wake up two days later aching all over and go back to the gym and you’ll feel like less of a fool. But after six months of consistency and patience there will be a noticeable difference in your body and in your ability.
So with music, for instance, if I work on writing, recording, mixing, mastering, distributing and promoting a song, the first effort will be, let’s say, not that good. But each time I go through that process I learn more, become more adept at each step, more confident. Eventually I could complete a project that sounds pretty decent. That’s growth. If I keep going, being consistent, it can sound really good. I’m going to do my best to stick with it.
What’s your project or goal? Do you have a plan to start, the first step in strategy? Can you be consistent and dedicated? Will you persevere? I hope the answer is “Yes”. Because growth will come.
