Day 15
Celebrate Your Wins!
We’re over halfway through our advent calendar! 🎄
Fifteen days down, ten to go.
And today, I want to do something different.
Today is all about celebration. 🎉
When I was at music college, the culture was all about what you hadn’t achieved yet. 🎓
There was always someone better, always a higher goal to reach, always more work to do.
I remember feeling exhausted, inadequate, and like I was constantly failing, even though I was actually making tremendous progress. 😔
It took me years to unlearn that mindset and understand something crucial: Celebrating your achievements isn’t self-indulgent.
It’s essential for sustained progress and motivation. 💪
You know what I’ve noticed as a teacher and examiner?
After a performance, students almost always tell me what went wrong before they mention what went well.
They’ll say, “I made mistakes in bars 15 and 32,” but they won’t say, “I nailed the entire opening section and my dynamics were beautiful.”
Why do we do this? 🤔
Why do we remember the few wrong notes instead of the hundred right ones? 🎵
It’s partly biological – our brains are wired to remember negative experiences more strongly than positive ones. 🧠
It’s a survival mechanism.
But in music, this tendency works against us.
It saps our motivation, damages our confidence, and makes practice feel like a chore rather than a joy. ⚡
Here’s what I’ve learned: For every negative thought, you need at least three positive ones to counteract it.
That means if you’re beating yourself up about one mistake, you need to celebrate at least three successes to balance it out.
Here’s an experience that one of my LMT members shared,
She told me she’d lost all confidence to perform at church because years ago, one person criticised her playing.
ONE person.
Out of potentially hundreds who’d enjoyed her playing over the years.
But that one negative comment had more power than all the positive experiences combined.
When I pointed this out to her – when we calculated how many people had enjoyed her playing versus this one critic – it shifted everything.
She could finally see the truth: The positive far outweighed the negative.
NB This way of seeing things from another angle doesn’t come easily to most people; we have to work at it!
🎯 Today’s Task (This is important – please do it!)
Today, you’re going to make a “Win List.” 📝
Grab your practice diary or a piece of paper.
Write down every single win you’ve had in the past two weeks.
And I mean EVERY win.
Nothing is too small.
Here are some examples:
- “I practiced for 5 minutes even though I was exhausted.” ⏱️
- “I clapped out that tricky rhythm successfully.” 👏
- “I noticed I was holding tension and released it.” 😌
- “I learned bars 1–4 of my new piece.” 🎼
- “I used my metronome without getting frustrated.” 🧭
- “I stopped immediately when I made a mistake instead of carrying on.” ⛔
Aim for at least 10 wins.
If you can list more, even better! 💥
Now, read through your list.
Really let yourself feel proud of these achievements.
You did these things!
That’s amazing! 🌟
🎓 For Advanced Players
Take this a step further.
For each win on your list, write down what enabled that success.
What did you do differently?
What approach worked?
For example:
Win: “I learned bars 1–4 of my new piece.”
What enabled it: “I clapped the rhythm first and practiced hands separately before putting them together.”
This deeper reflection helps you identify your most effective practice strategies, so you can use them again and again.
Also, start a “Compliments Folder.”
Any time someone says something nice about your playing – whether it’s a teacher, family member, or fellow musician – write it down and keep it somewhere safe.
When self-doubt creeps in (and it will), read through these reminders of your progress and impact.
Look, I get it. Many cultures teach us not to “blow our own trumpet.” 🎺
We’re supposed to be modest, self-deprecating.
But there’s a difference between arrogance and healthy self-acknowledgment.
You’re not being arrogant by celebrating progress.
You’re being honest.
You’re recognising your effort and growth.
And that recognition fuels further progress. 🔥
So today, let yourself celebrate. 🎉
You’ve shown up for 15 days in a row.
You’ve tried new techniques.
You’ve challenged yourself.
You’ve engaged with your music in deeper ways.
That deserves recognition. 🏅
From me, and more importantly, from you.
Well done. 👏
I’m proud of you.
Now let’s keep going!
Fiona 🎶
P.S. If you want to share one of your wins with me, I’d genuinely love to hear it. 💌
Send me an email and tell me something you’re proud of from the past two weeks. 💬
Every win matters! 🌟