Tag: BePrepared

Are You Ready for the Call?

What if your dream opportunity came calling today—would you be ready?

Not just ready to interview… but ready to win the job?
Ready to step into your goals, your potential, your next level?

If your answer is anything but an instant “yes,” then it’s time to ask:
Why not?

We often hear about being in the right place at the right time. But the truth is, if you’re not prepared, the opportunity might come—and pass—without ever becoming yours.

Josh Bryant and Adam benShea use the term Gas Station Ready—the idea that you should be ready for anything at a moment’s notice, especially when it comes to protecting yourself or your loved ones.

The same mindset applies to your goals and aspirations.

  • Are you prepared to be great right now?
  • Are you prepared to achieve your goals right now?
  • Are you prepared to be who you say you want to be—right now?

Opportunities don’t wait until you feel ready. They come when they come. So get ready now.

Sharpen your resume. Practice your pitch. Train your mind and body.
Live like every day is an interview—because one day soon, the call will come.

Will you be ready to answer?

#EverydayIsAnInterview
 #IOwnTheMorning
 #StayHealthyStayStrong
 #WWKDD
 #JustBeBetter

Roll With It

I love playing music with my friends. I have been playing music with the same drummer for over 35 years. We no longer play many shows, but I always look forward to the next one.

This weekend, we had the opportunity to perform two songs with a friend who has sung with us for the last two years. Our friend hosted an open mic at an outdoor fair and wanted us to perform two songs to encourage others to get up and sing. I was happy to do this little gig, but as always, there were challenges.

  • I found out about the show the night before. Roll With It! I always like to prepare and practice, so the songs are second nature before we play them live. I needed extra practice time since we had not played a live show in about ten months, and I have been focusing on other musical goals. We could not work out a practice session on short notice. We all suggested songs. None of my suggestions were picked (not an issue). I practiced the two chosen songs. Instead of complaining about the short time to practice, I focused on the task. In the end, I was pleased with my preparation of the songs, but I had many questions about the technical setup for the show.
  • The drummer and the singer planned to sing while I accompanied them on the guitar. This lineup is not a problem, as it is a more straightforward setup. However, it relies on using other people’s equipment. In this case, we would use someone else’s PA system. With very little information, I had to figure out the PA system and decide which gear to bring (Read the previous blog “Balance” about only bringing what I needed). Roll With It! Since we had to “hike” in our gear, I took a guitar, two cables, a DI box to hook my guitar to the PA, and two cables.
  • When I got to the gig, I discovered the PA system was not good. Roll With It! There were no monitors to hear me or the singers.  Five minutes before we were supposed to go on, the singer asked if I would accompany a young singer on a song I knew and had performed in the past. No practice time. Roll With It! Halfway through the song, the cable PA conks out. Roll With It! It was a bad cable that I replaced with one of mine. The young singer was good but needed to know when to enter each verse of the song. I altered the song’s structure to help and support her. Roll with It!  She was so pleased that she sang a second song later in the day.
  • My bandmates are awesome people, but they are constantly changing their minds. We were first supposed to open the show to encourage others to come up and sing. Since more people than expected signed up for slots, we played towards the end. Roll With It! Giving those two time to “think” about our songs is always a bad idea. Remember, they picked the songs we would perform, and we chose their picks. As we were getting ready to go on stage, the two of them changed the first song we would play. Roll with it. I had no time to practice or get our stage confidence by starting with a well-practiced song. The only thing to rely on was hoping  I have a good memory and can remember the song structure, chords, and changes. Roll with It!

Despite all of this, it was a good show. We played well. We will continue to do a few of these as I write the next album. 

What did I learn? Roll With It! The only way to do this is to keep a good attitude so that others remember the joy we feel playing music as a group (and hopefully, someone in the audience plays bass and wants to join the band).

#Just Be Better

#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

#iownthemorning

Balance

There is much talk about achieving and maintaining a work-life balance. I do not believe in work-life balance. Work is part of my life. Over the years, I have determined when it should be a priority. I also know when it should take a back seat. 

Each person struggles with balancing their priorities. I need to be prepared for any situation. At the same time, I strive to be a minimalist and not take more than I need. I do not like bringing more than I need to an event or task. But I also hate being unprepared. One reason for my minimalist approach is that bringing backup supplies starts a chain reaction. I end up with too many things I do not need. 

Here are some examples

I have a gig where I need a guitar, a pedal board, an amp, and cables. I prepared the packing list. Before I knew it, my car had four guitars, three amps, and two pedal boards. Despite all of the gear, I will end up using one guitar, one pedal board, one amp, and some cables.

The same thing happens when I go on vacation or play golf. I over pack and end up carrying things I do not need. It is one thing to have an extra pair of socks. Having an extra suitcase or golf bag you will never open is another. Also, I should never bring extra “toys” to golf until I learn to hit the ball straight. At that point, I will not need the “toys” anyway.

I preach the minimalist approach to my private students. Only take what you need to take a high-stakes test. There is no need to bring large equation sheets when three equations will solve over 95% of the problems. A large equation sheet will not finish the quest for the other 5%. One can only achieve such success through meaningful practice, AKA preparation.

How do I find balance? I review everything I need and do not need after each event. I am ruthless. Did I bring something I did not need? Did I forget something (once is human, a second time is unacceptable)? What challenges occurred that I was not prepared for? In doing so, I developed running lists for different events. These include an extended vacation and a short vacation. Other events include a beach trip, golf with my friends and family, small gigs, and practice. This ongoing process has allowed me to balance being a minimalist and being prepared.

Balance is an ongoing process. You have to work on it. It must be important to you. You must learn from what you do. Good luck with your balance.

#Just Be Better

#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

#Be prepared

#Iownthemorning