The Power of Vision

"Yeah, right" was my first thought when I heard you could get 5x more results in the same time.

At the same time, I was curious: How?

Let me explain.

In "The Talent Code," Daniel Coyle discusses a long-term study by Professor Gary McPherson on children's learning speeds during music lessons. This study reveals a secret to rapid success.

The University of Melbourne says Professor McPherson's research has significantly deepened our understanding of how individuals develop musical skills.

His work investigates the cognitive and social processes involved in acquiring musical competencies, as well as personal and environmental factors affecting musical development, ability, and identity.

He is widely recognized for his considerable impact on music education theory and international practice.

His contribution is evidenced by widespread citations, guest lecturing at over 50 universities in 25 countries, and over 40 keynote presentations at national and international conferences.

Sam Thomas Davies brilliantly summarizes Professor McPherson's research in his article. You can read more about Sam at www.samuelthomasdavies.com. Here’s an excerpt:

In 1997, Professor Gary McPherson investigated a question that had puzzled parents and music teachers for centuries:

Why do some children progress quickly in music lessons while others don't?

McPherson's approach involved tracking 157 randomly selected children using biometric tests, videotaping their practice sessions, and interviewing them in detail.

This long-term study followed them from before they chose their instrument to their high school graduation.

Before their first lesson, the children were asked a question that, in hindsight, revealed a lot about their motivation:

"How long do you think you’ll play your new instrument?"

McPherson recounts:

"[The children] mostly said:

‘Uh, I dunno’ at first. But after I kept asking, they gave me a solid answer. They had an idea, even then.

They'd picked up something in their environment that made them say:

‘Yes, that’s for me’.”

The children identified how long they planned to play their instrument: through this year, through primary school, through high school, or all my life.

Their answers were condensed into three categories:

1. Short-term commitment

2. Medium-term commitment

3. Long-term commitment

McPherson then measured how much each child practiced per week: low (20 minutes), medium (45 minutes), and high (90 minutes).

He plotted the results against their performance on a skill test.

The graph looked like this:

As evident from Figure 1, with the same amount of practice, the long-term commitment group outperformed the short-term commitment group by 400 percent.

The long-term commitment group, with just twenty minutes of weekly practice, progressed faster than the short-term commitment group who practiced for an hour and a half.

In other words, when long-term commitment was coupled with high levels of practice, the children’s development soared.

What mde the difference?

Was it their IQ?

Aural sensitivity?

Math skills?

Sense of rhythm?

Sensorimotor skills?

Their parents’ income?

Actually, their progress was determined not by any of those factors, but by a tiny, powerful idea they had before their first lesson: how they perceived themselves.

McPherson comments:

“We instinctively thought of each new student as a blank slate, but the ideas they brought to that first lesson were probably far more important than anything a teacher could’ve done, or any amount of practice. At some point very early on they had a crystallizing experience that brought the idea to the fore that said, ‘I am a musician’. That idea was like a snowball rolling downhill.”

Anything you commit to long term, you'll make sure you get it.

Any ‘opportunities’ that are not aligned with your long-term vision—you'll self-sabotage.

Having a values-fulfilled vision, filled with things that are important to you, is the first, is one of the most important keys which allow you to perform at a higher level with ease.

Your life already demonstrates what is important to you.

You might not notice it.

Yet if you want to have 400% more results in the same time, reply back, and in 10 minutes you'll have your power vision too.

Cheers,

Damir