This Year, Set Yourself Up for Success, Not Failure

The new year is upon us. Regardless of whatever happened in 2023, 2024 looms ahead of us all.

Last year, you thought, "This year will be different. This year, I’ll actually accomplish my goals. This year, I’ll stick to those resolutions."

But it wasn’t. You didn’t. And you didn’t.

You know what? You’re not alone. Ohio State University’s Richard Batts wrote, “23% of people quit their resolution by the end of the first week, and 43% quit by the end of January.”

So why do we even bother to make resolutions?

An inner desire to change.

Peer pressure.

Crowd mentality.

Any of these factors impact our desire to take part in this annual ritual. But when the inevitable happens, and you remember that you have forgotten your promise, you disappoint no one but yourself.

I’m sorry, but that is the truth. Did you think I would say, "Aww, that's OK. You'll get it next time"?

Sometimes we all need a dose of unabashed honesty.

Let me share a quick story. My friend Paul teaches people how to play the clarinet. He also conducts a symphony orchestra and runs a nonprofit organization that supports that endeavor.

The musicians he hires are all trained instrumentalists who have studied performance in their field. Some have earned master’s degrees and even doctorates in performance. Even with degrees of higher education and years of experience, all orchestral arrangements have parts for second and third chairs.

If you have ever played in a middle- or high-school band, you know that first-chair music is the most challenging. The composer may have written more measures with eighth and sixteenth notes (think more notes to a measure that are faster and require more dexterity in the fingering and more control in the embouchure), while second- and third-chair music is often less demanding.

For a piece to sound great (think complexity and depth of sound—i.e., the sound story), there must be a certain complexity. Rhythms, dynamics, tempo, key signature, time signature.

Students often vie for first-chair positions in school ensembles by challenging their peers. The opportunity to move up in the band is like an athlete switching from outfield to pitcher or catcher. The first chair possesses more gravitas and more bragging rights.

I remember when I lost my first-chair clarinet position to another more worthy student. For some reason, Mr. Valentine, the middle-school band teacher, offered me the bass clarinet instead of the B-flat clarinet.

Before, there were 20 clarinetists. Now, I was the only one!

And the music—because the instrument plays an octave lower—is usually easier with more quarter notes, half notes, and a lower register.

Picture those rock musicians on stage. The vocalist stars as they serenade the audience. At the same time, the electric guitar and drummer may also take turns playing licks that wow the audience. But the bass guitarist seems content to groove on the side, plucking away on those low foundation notes.

Yeah, that was me on bass clarinet.

Back to the orchestra—

Sometimes, a musician tries their damnedest to play well, but the inevitable happens. A note cracks. A note sounds at the point of cesura. A note lags, muddying a tricky phrase with unwanted musical chatter.

But here’s the thing—my friend Paul, during our Monday morning quarterbacking discussions of local pub shows, sometimes says, “They’re just not that good,” which intends to mimic Chevy Chase’s character in the 1980 cult classic "Caddyshack."

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So what does all of this music talk have to do with resolutions and the coming new year?

Today, give yourself a win.

Not a pass. But be sure it’s a guaranteed win.

You’re reading this message because you want to "Do More ARt":

• You dream of covering canvases with landscapes, still lifes, portraits, whatever. You see yourself writing The Great American Novel and short stories that high-school English teachers will teach for decades.
• You imagine your food truck with a long line of happy customers enjoying your menu options.
• You picture the perfect breakfast nook in your newly designed kitchen or the garden walkway outside the backdoor.
• You see yourself on stage reciting your newest haiku or conversing with another actor in a new play.
• You dream of dressing clients in unique garments that sport your label inside the back collar.

Before you do another thing, try this:

What project can you finish today?

Choose a project that will take less than one hour and is made from materials you already own. For me, writing short articles, like this one, represents doable projects that keep me going.

Writing a 50,000-word book of helpful exercises is challenging, but sitting down and penning a 750- to 1,000-word article—I can do that. And then, I can assemble these columns into a book.

All art-making requires steps.

So what are you going to create today?

Make sure your project is easy to do—almost impossible not to finish.

Give yourself one small win. You’re not competing against anyone. Nobody will say, "You're just not that good." No one will fault you for trying.

Let’s call this “My whatever project.”

No standards. No judgment. Just do it.

Nothing can stop you from earning this prize.

In the first days of this new year, celebrate your win!

You’re just not that good.

You are incredible.