The beginning of every year is a new slate, an opportunity to focus on who you’re going to become in the next 365 days. Many people around the world set goals for themselves, but the majority of goal setters don’t keep them. How can you focus on guitar in the new year, and make guitar a habit?

One of the best ways instead of simply making goals, is to change your outlook on who you want to be. So rather than say, I want to sweep pick, say, “I want to be a guitarist who can play this way, because X”. You fill in the blank, but be sure you’re working on something that’ll really make you progress as a player.

Knowing what you’re going to work on when you sit down to practice is important, and it also gives you a chance to really write out your practice schedule. Once you see it in front of you, think to yourself if the stuff you’re working on is what will define you as a player.

If you’re trying to fit into a specific type of genre, make sure your practice efforts are aligned with techniques, riff vocabulary and more that make sense to what you’re trying to accomplish.

The other important thing to recognize, is that if you start now, early in the year, a lot can happen in the span of not only one year, but one month. Set smaller goals for each month, each week, and you’ll quickly see how much of a better player you can become in a short span.

I wanted to give you even more inspiration to start off the year, so below you can find some of my favorite posts that are all about goal setting/getting your year in order.