My First Lesson

Today marks a new beginning.

Today marks the day I became a guitar teacher. It's been a long time waiting. It's been one of those things you realise one day and keep in the back of your head. It's one of those things you say you'll get around to. Something you'll do later.

Screw that. I did it now. And I had one of the most fulfilling experiences today when I spent 30 minutes with a young kid who wanted to learn how to play guitar.

I won't go into details of how the lesson was conducted. But it was great to be able to relate to a child (being childish myself), and him understanding me. His biggest issue with guitar lessons was how boring they were. So I told him we won't be doing boring stuff. But we will have to cover some key elements on how to play guitar. How to hold it properly. How to strum and pick.

He asked me some great questions, like why does the note go higher when you play closer to the sound hole? And, what are the dots on the fretboard?

The most fascinating part about the lesson was the ending. Instead of me saying "Thanks for today, see you next week" Which is what I usually tell my clients in IT.... who are generally not pleased to see me because me being there means they're spending too much money. I have to say it to them only to hear it back. Otherwise I'll just get a "bye"

Today, this kid said to me "Thanks for the lesson, I learnt a lot. See you next Wednesday at 6PM"

I give him and his mother a "You're welcome, it was my pleasure, see you next week" and I walked to my car..... with the biggest, cheesiest grin. I thought to myself, "Why am I smiling like a dork?" Why shouldn't I? I just enjoyed the best work I've done since, well.... since I can't even remember.

I can't wait for the next lesson.

If it's not fun, don't do it

I've always tried to adhere to the principle of if it's not fun, don't do it anymore. I come across people every day that aren't having fun. They're at work, they work, they take things seriously. And while there are serious aspects to work, say, with high voltage, or construction where lives are at risk. I don't want to say throw it all out the window and just have fun.

What I want to say is that having fun, even at work can change the way you not only perceive work but life too.

I saw this video the other day that I would like to share.

Isn't that fantastic?

Me being overweight, I'm conscious of taking the stairs vs taking a escalator. I always find the further car parking spot because I know I can get a spot and walk to the shop quicker than the person who's circling around the same area waiting for someone to leave.

I guess the real question is, do we really need to make it fun in order to do something, anything?

Well, we don't need to, but why not make something pleasurable?

Why not make everything you do, fun?

I try and make games out of everything I do. Mowing the lawn. I try and beat my best time (3 hrs 47 mins). And when I can't go any faster, I try and mow it better.

If you've been following my blog, you'll know that running my business isn't fun anymore either. So I'm changing that too. I'm radically altering what my business does, and at the same time heading into an industry I've always had a passion for.

Actually, it's not even a passion. It's just my way of life.

I've recently ordered this book: Element - Finding Passion Changes Everything. Which is a book by Sir Ken Robinson. If you don't know of him, he parades around the world taking about something I do have a passion for due to my terrible experiences in school. He talks about how education kills creativity. He talks about how schools aren't meant for us. It was an idea brought together to feed the industrial revolution.

Now, while no one is against education. What Ken is passionate about is changing education to help your children, not your great and great great grandfather's children.

I'm wavering off topic here, but Ken clearly has a passion to change education. Deep down we all have a passion for something. And I bet if it's not fun you wouldn't be doing it.

If you're stuck in a rut like me at the moment. Maybe look at what you enjoy doing best and seeing if you can fulfil yourself with what you love. Make your life fun again, like when you were a kid. Being a grown up doesn't mean you can't have fun anymore, at least that's what I tell myself.