The steel drum, a.k.a. “pan,” is the world’s happiest sounding instrument. Which is why, in previous articles, I’ve used the pan as a metaphor for how to build a happy life:
In my post, “Inside-Out Personal Growth,” I asked you to commit to “stretch” as a person through intentional, personal growth.
Next, in my post, “Map Out Your Plan,” I explained how to map out your life plan.
In this post, I discuss why “grooving your notes” is a necessary step to committing to your life plan.
Groove Your Notes
The art of pan building can teach us something about commitment.
After builders have hammered (“stretched”) a barrelhead down into a bowl-like shape and then traced (“mapped”) the notes onto the face of the bowl, it’s time to “groove.”
The grooving process involves using a small hammer to flatten the metal down in the areas between the marked notes, causing the notes themselves to take on a “bubble-like” shape. The builders then use a hammer and nail punch to create small indentations, known as “grooves,” around each note.
The grooves’ purpose is to help the notes hold their shape and isolate each note’s vibrations from those of the other notes on the pan. Grooves minimize “bleed over” and protect the integrity of each note’s pitch by reducing sound distortion.
So, what does this have to do with commitment?
Imagine that you are a pan builder. You’ve spent a lot of time and energy hammering the barrelhead down into a bowl-like shape in preparation to add the notes. Then, using a pencil and various sized, oval-shaped stencils, you painstakingly trace notes onto the face of the bowl.
At this point, you can still make major changes. You can change the notes’ size or even reposition them in a different order and pattern. Just erase what you had previously traced, decide what you want to change, and then retrace the notes onto the bowl.
But grooving, the next step in the building process, requires you to make a total commitment to your building plan. Once you begin hammering grooves around each of the stenciled notes, there is no going back. All you can do is move forward or start your building process all over again.
Commit to Your Life Plan
When putting together your life plan, you have plenty of opportunities to make adjustments to your plan. You can add to it, delete items, or totally scrap it and start over. But there is a point where you will have to commit to your life plan. That point is when you begin to “groove” your notes.
Upon graduation from college with a bachelor’s degree in business and a major in accounting, I had a decision to make. What did I want to do with my new degree? Where did I want to work? What kind of work?
Obviously, I had studied business and accounting, so I knew that my career choice would utilize my new skills somehow. But that still left me with a broad range of opportunities. There were a lot of different directions that I could have gone. Private or public sector? Industry type? Accounting position or something in operations?
An FBI recruiter told me that they were looking for accounting majors to work on white-collar crime cases. Did I want to become an FBI agent?
After much deliberation, I chose to accept a job offer as an auditor for Deloitte, Haskins and Sells “DH&S,” a “Big 8” accounting firm. DH&S was a public accounting firm with many Fortune 500 companies as clients. Working for one of the Big 8 firms was prestigious – it would help me build credibility for my personal brand.
I was now committed to becoming a certified public accountant, “CPA.”
My decision to work for DH&S was the point where I made a total commitment to my life plan. I was going “all in” with accounting – I was “grooving” my notes.
Move Forward – Commit
During the life planning process, it’s okay to make adjustments or even change your mind and start over. That’s the purpose of planning – to figure out exactly what it is you want in life.
But there is a point where you will have to commit to your life plan. Once you go “all in” and begin to “groove your notes,” your efforts going forward will be much more focused and effective.
Move forward with your life plan. Start grooving your notes – commit.
No wrong notes,
Mike
I hope that this post has inspired, motivated, or educated you in some small way. If so, please consider joining the Creative Pandemonium community. It’s free – click on this link, “Join the Band!”
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