David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:
Three Types of Deadlines

Deadlines Change Your Thoughts and Actions

It’s one thing to say – in the abstract – that you’re going to learn a new piece of music or a song. It’s entirely different to say you’re going to learn this music in one week.

Did you find yourself feeling a bit anxious when you read that “one week” deadline just now?

Deadlines have profound effects on us. They change our thoughts. They alter our behavior. And, they focus our practicing like nothing else!

Without a deadline, you can fall victim to Parkinson’s Law:
“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

Translation? It could take you forever to master the music.

So, let’s look at three ways of setting deadlines and how each style of deadline has a different effect on you.

The Three Types of Deadlines

1st Type of Deadline:
Outside Your Control / Accountable to Others

The most effective type of deadline has someone else setting the date and holds you accountable to others. For musicians, this usually means a performance or an audition.

You’ll see your performance or audition date on your calendar, and your thoughts and actions will immediately change. You know you have to be ready by that date. You also know that you’ll be accountable to other people: the musicians you perform with, the audition panel, the audience, and anyone else in your life connected to this upcoming event.

This type of deadline is highly motivational. Some people fear making a fool of themselves in public. Others take pride in showing the world their accomplishments. Either way, playing publicly is an amazing motivation tool.

Don’t have an upcoming performance on the calendar? Schedule one and watch your motivation instantly increase!

2nd Type of Deadline:
Inside Your Control / Accountable to Others

A second highly effective deadline for musicians is playing for someone else. You will generally get to choose this date, which gives you a greater feeling of control than the 1st deadline type above, but you will still have other people to hold you accountable!

Here are a few suggestions for setting up this type of deadline:

• Have an informal performance for a small group of friends or family.
• Schedule a specific date on which you and another musician will play for each other and critique each other.
• If you’re taking lessons, set a date with your teacher when you will do a complete runthrough of the music you’re learning – as if you’re on stage. No starting and stopping – no matter what.

My suggestions for this second type of deadline have one thing in common: You’re making a commitment to other people. This level of commitment will make you want to be ready in time.

3rd Type of Deadline:
Inside Your Control / Accountable to Yourself

One last type of deadline makes you accountable only to yourself and is the hardest deadline to meet. You will have total say on the date you choose, and no one else will be putting any pressure on you to meet your deadline.

Here’s how this deadline strategy works: Select a date when you will hold a mock performance. You won’t actually be on a real stage in front of a real audience, but you’ll prepare as if you’re playing in front of an audience.

You’ll do a full runthrough of whatever song or piece your working on. No starting and stopping allowed! Video this mock performance and watch the video when you’re done.

I recommend that you do this at least once a month.

No Deadlines Can Mean No Progress

Without deadlines, you might or might not learn any new material. After all, there will be no consequences if you don’t, and no rewards if you do.

You can choose which of these types of deadlines sounds most interesting to you and fits you the best. My recommendation is that you try all three over time so you can find what works best for you.

The first two types of deadline offer you varying degrees of extrinsic motivation – that is, outside forces that are affecting your thoughts, actions, and reactions to the task ahead. For many people, extrinsic motivation is the most effective.

The last type of deadline relies exclusively on intrinsic motivation to get any benefit from the activity. You’ll be the only person responsible for making the deadline.

What to Do With This Information

Please do these 3 things to get the most out of using deadlines for your benefit:

1. Create a deadline for sometime in the next 4 days when you will play through something you’re practicing, record the runthrough (audio or video), and listen back to the recording.

2. Schedule another deadline – within the next 2 weeks – when you will play that same music for someone else and listen to their comments.

3. Leave a comment here and let me know how these two deadline strategies worked for you.

To Your Musical Success!
David Motto