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You are here: Home / Jazz Education / How to Train Your Brain!

How to Train Your Brain!

By Adam Rafferty 24 Comments

A lot of people seem to think that since I am a touring “pro” guitarist with recordings and DVDs that I am “the expert” and that’s the end.  Not the case!  The truth is that I love studying, learning and practicing.

For example – over the last 2 weeks I’ve read  5 books on marketing, ad copyrighting and web technology  – and  I plan to re-read them because the info was so good.

Oh Goodness, Heavens Gracious!  Did Adam the guitar player just admit this?

Yes!  All this stuff other than playing guitar is also important for me to keep up on. They all serve my music, touring and career!

Discovering and realizing new things – musical and otherwise – is the fun part of the journey.  See what I am saying?

Here’s some great advice that I’d like to pass on from Brian Tracy – and this helps me keep my mind fresh in the way I have described…

Read 30 minutes in your field each morning.  This is called “The Golden Hour”  when the mind is clear, receptive and the day’s “tone” is set.   After a year – that’s a lot of reading.  Just think how much you’d learn.

The more you read and learn, the more you want to read and learn.  Like a muscle, the mind gets stronger when it’s used and weaker when it’s not.

Adam’s Advice:

Don’t check your email first thing in the morning.  That’s right! – wait.  That’s a “reactive”  activity as opposed to an active one.

If you are spending senseless time on video games, news sites, entertainment, and sites like Facebook,  fiddling with your “smart” phone – just say NO and set that time aside and read 30 minutes every morning.

Watch what happens to your life in a month.

Rock on!

Filed Under: Jazz Education, Personal Developement, Success

About Adam Rafferty

I’m Adam Rafferty – a guitar player born and raised in New York City, and currently spending most of my time on tour playing concerts and coaching my guitar students online at StudyWithAdam.com

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rex Eberle says

    February 3, 2012 at 3:38 pm

    Really appreciate your emails and insight!

    Rex

    Reply
  2. piero frisani says

    February 3, 2012 at 4:30 pm

    thank you Adam, I will do it.

    Reply
  3. Bernd Rossmann says

    February 3, 2012 at 7:26 pm

    Adam,
    this simple advise is so much more than a great guitar show only and worth to be spread into the world!
    Thank you mate and see you soon!
    Cheers Bernd

    Reply
  4. Hansel Pethig says

    February 3, 2012 at 10:13 pm

    I will try it out – 30 minutes, I think I can do that! Thanks Adam, I’ll tell how it worked!
    Cheers, Hansel

    Reply
  5. Frank says

    February 12, 2012 at 8:08 pm

    Hi Adam, good thing, I already do so in the morning (and the evening as well;-) Reading ´bout music, learning from the others, the best deal to prepare for practising. I love reading how other centuries´composers thought about music and “marketing”. Mozart was the first who had the idea of getting paid for a composition whenever it´s performed, not only once. They got money only once for the work itself, but the next evening of an opera event wasn´t paid anymore;-)
    Cheers from Germany, Frank

    Reply
  6. David says

    May 15, 2014 at 2:33 pm

    You are 100% right about this! Thanks!

    Reply
  7. Rich says

    May 28, 2014 at 9:21 am

    Morning Adam!
    For some reason I woke at 4:30 am. I’ve been working on tommy emmanuel’s arrangement of amazing grace and felt led to pick up my martin and practice, which I did (so far to go!)

    Then…I checked my email. I know you’ll excuse me this time, for I read your email about starting the day with 30 min of reading.

    You are right on! I’m going to do it for 30 days. No more reaching for the phone to check emails first thing in the morning. Will do some reading instead.

    Thanks Adam for the real-time encouragement!

    Reply
  8. klaus says

    June 11, 2014 at 11:26 am

    YES! Absolutly 100% right, Adam!!!

    Reply
  9. Bob Clause says

    August 27, 2014 at 3:53 pm

    Adam; I had the pleasure of hearing you play in Niagara Falls last year with Jamie,my guitar teacher.I understand you are coming back in December.I want the first ticket!There is an old,wise expression:”That which is used will develop,that which is not used wastes away” Food for thought.Thanx,Bob C.

    Reply
    • adamrafferty says

      September 2, 2014 at 7:58 pm

      See you Dec 12 – I think 🙂

      Reply
  10. Prentiss says

    October 2, 2014 at 8:58 pm

    Thanks for the reminder! It can be easy to get distracted, if it’s allowed.

    Reply
    • PickerDad says

      April 12, 2017 at 11:28 pm

      Distracted? Who gets distracted? (He says ironically)

      – ADHDavid

      Reply
  11. Steve says

    November 20, 2014 at 5:46 pm

    Great advice! Now if I can just make myself do it.

    Reply
    • adamrafferty says

      January 4, 2015 at 7:50 am

      You can do it!

      Reply
  12. Seung Ho says

    May 27, 2015 at 4:28 pm

    Thanks a lot,
    LOL
    I like you Adam!

    Reply
    • adamrafferty says

      June 13, 2015 at 6:02 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  13. RODRIGO says

    August 6, 2015 at 3:35 pm

    Thanks for this advice, i got it and will try it !!
    Like your funky face : )

    Reply
    • adamrafferty says

      September 14, 2015 at 6:00 pm

      Thanks for commenting Rodrigo!

      Reply
  14. Ray says

    May 6, 2016 at 11:50 am

    That is GOLDEN advice my friend, words to live by. Thanks bro.

    Reply
  15. Mikael B says

    May 18, 2016 at 6:19 am

    I like to read your mails, any time at day! Always good thoughts. Can we see you in Sweden sometime? Gothenbourg?

    Reply
  16. Roman says

    October 19, 2016 at 3:14 pm

    I will also Take advantage of your advice! Thank you, Adam!

    Reply
  17. PickerDad says

    April 12, 2017 at 11:23 pm

    I’ve been trying to figure out how to control the email/web browser monster myself. My ADHD makes me particularly susceptible. I’m ashamed to say there are days when I never get out of that hole. But I think reading for content might just do it. After generally getting up and organized, then coffee and breakfast, another half hour should give me time for my ‘focus meds’ to kick in. I’ll give it a go, I’ve got a reading backlog, anyway.

    David

    Reply
  18. Stuart Mono says

    June 14, 2022 at 2:14 pm

    What are the five books you read? Would love to know! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Adam Rafferty says

      August 9, 2022 at 2:47 am

      I’m always reading something, and also trying to write in a journal every day.

      Reply

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