Okay, you’ve spent years pursuing your life goals – building a career, a family, buying that home, or whatever else was of prime importance to you.

Now, you have a bit more time to take stock and it hits you. Yes, you’ve come a long way, but your achievements have come at the expense of some of your goals and desires.

Like – Teaching yourself the guitar – for example. Well, you’ve thought of and done for others for so long, isn’t it time you thought of yourself and treated yourself to the well-deserved luxury of actually doing something just for the pure pleasure and satisfaction of it?

Think you’re too old to play Carnegie Hall or the Grand Ol Oprey? Maybe, maybe not. But that shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your life-long dream. Why don’t you start to learn to play? You might be surprised, or you may find that playing for family and friends is worth every bit as much as fame and fortune (well, okay, almost)

Here are some tips to make your decision easier and help you get started.

  1. Get a guitar. Or, maybe dust off the one that’s been gathering dust in the closet. Once you have your hands on it or it’s staring at you day after day, you’ll be more likely to go ahead and “just do it”.
  2. Chose the right lessons for you. Google lessons are great to show you what method this or that coach uses, but you’ll never get very far by jumping from lesson set to lesson set. Use a coordinated approach and above all, learn from someone who teaches the style of music that pleases you. There’s nothing to be gained from taking lessons from the best shredder in the business if your taste runs to Clapton, Skynard (and vice versa). This is a sure-fire recipe for bailing out before you reach your goal.
  3. Find yourself a spare room. Ok, it doesn’t have to be a whole room, but make some space somewhere in the house that you’ll use to practice. Remember: you need a quiet place that you’ll feel comfortable in, one without distractions.
  4. Prepare for some physical pain – yup, if you’re serious about learning, you going to have some. The fingers, muscles and joints are going to protest as you push them out of their comfort zone. In most cases it doesn’t last long, if you keep practicing that is, but you can make it shorter by exercising and it’s not a bad idea to have something for muscle and joint pain around … just in case.
  5. Make up your mind & dive in. This is the most important key. You’ve finally decided to do something for yourself. Something you’ve always wanted. Don’t give it up by thinking you’re too old. Take your time. Rome wasn’t built in a day!

The good thing about getting old is that we finally have time for ourselves. We did what we could for others and now it’s time to do something we enjoy.

Investing the time to teach yourself guitar will pay dividends down the road in terms of your level of satisfaction, enthusiasm and even, according to some studies, your health.

It’s your dream, Live It

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