Everything you do feeds into every other area of your life. If you spend your nights watching television or mindlessly browsing the internet, those activities can and will impact your life. If you watch depressing, sad stories all the time, it can carry over into your daily activities and thoughts. Whatever you choose to watch, or even your hobbies can impact not just your personal life but your professional life as well. Some of the activities can impact you in a negative way, however, there are more that influence you in a positive way. Take learning an instrument. This hobby allows us to become a better boss and a better person in more ways than we might realize. Let’s take a look at four ways this possible.
The Art of Patience
Rare is the person who can just pick up a guitar and can instantly play a tune. It takes time to get to a level that’s “not terrible,” let alone to a stage where you’re able to play tracks confidently. Between the time of thinking how much you suck and when you actually play in front of an audience, a driving force behind your learning is patience. You’ll have to suffer through many hours of not being able to do anything on even the most basic of levels. Do you give up, or carry on? You carry on. Learning the art of patience will make you more sympathetic to your staff members. No-one likes an angry, impatient boss!
Help from Others
There are some entrepreneurs, and musicians, who live under the mistaken belief they’ve reached their status all on their own. This is never true! There will always be people, other ideas, technology, and support behind anyone who goes on to achieve success. In the musical world, this will be things like YouTube tutorials, teachers, voice counting metronome apps, and even feedback from friends. In the business world, it’ll be your staff, the ability to work with other companies, a commitment to your customers, and more. If you’re learning how to play an instrument with the support of others, you won’t be blind to the help of others in the business world, either — you’ll appreciate them.
Taking Chances
Let’s be real for a second. If you’re learning an instrument, then you’re exposing yourself in one way or another way. You’re making yourself vulnerable. The sheer act of playing a song is akin to putting yourself out there. You are, in other words, overcoming the fear and taking a chance. And that’s just what’s needed in the business world. A company can’t have a boss who’s afraid to take chances — they need to know how to take risks!
Bringing the Joy
Music is a joyful sound that can often shift the mood of someone’s day. Have you ever been driving down the street and a song you really like comes on the radio? Then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Sharing music with others and bringing that feeling of joy to them is a gift, but many overlook it and take it for granted. Once you’ve seen the magic you create with your music, you’ll be more inspired to carry that over into other areas of life. Work is work, sure, but there’s always room for a little bit of happiness thrown into the mix too — there’s no reason for life to be so serious all the time. That’s what engaging in the joy of music will teach you.
Learning to play an instrument is not an easy thing to do by no means. However, in learning, you don’t just learn about the instrument. There are so many skills, patience, taking risks, etc. that carry over into all areas of your life. Skills that are needed to be a great leader and a great boss. Next time you practice, think about how you can incorporate more of the best of music into your daily life. Here’s to YOUR success!
Carolyn R. Owens has over 25 years of proven experience and serves as a Career Strategist, Leadership and Life Coach. She is the Chairwoman and CEO of Infinity Coaching, Inc. where they help you up-level your skills so you can up-level your income. Infinity Coaching, Inc. provides one-on-one and group coaching, organizational training, personality assessments, and a signature program, the Infinity Coaching Inner Circle. Carolyn is certified to give both The Energy Leadership Index Assessment and Myers Briggs Type Indicator Assessment. You can find out more about both assessments and other products and services at https://infinitycoaching.net.
