I’m only making one resolution and it’s the same one I’ve had at the top of my list every single year for the last twelve years: “play more piano”. How much more? Well at least once more. Do I have to get better? Absolutely not. When is it fulfilled? When I feel like it.
For eleven (11!!) years I tapped out every time with Jingle Bells because playing with both hands doing different things at the same time is only a skill you learn by making a deal with the devil. But I enjoyed it every year, and I resolved to play more the next year. Last year - my twelfth year! - I made huge progress (thank you pandemic and/or the devil) and blew through my lesson book, and I’m doing proper exercises and learning my scales and arpeggios. But thankfully my resolution hasn’t changed and if I don’t get any better or even get worse then it’s fine. Can you imagine if I made a goal like “learn to play X piece” and then didn’t achieve it?? I’d probably never touch piano again cause it would just be a reminder of how much of a total failure I am.
Anyway philosophically I’m a big fan of resolutions that are:
- zero stress
- impossible to fail at with minimal effort
- uncapped goals that last as long as I want
- things I already like doing
- did I mention zero stress? why do people do this to themselves every year?
I highly recommend it.
PS. I originally wrote eight years I’ve been learning piano. And then I did the math. I have now come to the conclusion that time is a lie.
