Why is preparation so important to success in Vocal Training?

Remember, MaJoVTA Members: This level of Vocal Training is unusual and cannot be accomplished except by daring, preparation and elite training.

I often think about my friend Rich, a USAF reserve pilot who flies his F-15 faster than the speed of sound, 10 miles up in the sky. Or I watch Simone Biles on the parallel bars. Wow. What Rich and Simone do is not “natural.” And neither is it “natural” to do this kind of Vocal Training.

Generally, people don’t do what you do. It is, in a word, elite – set apart from what most people would even dare try.

And yet, you have decided to do it. Never underestimate the importance of that decision.

Rich and Simone both trained …for years… to achieve their elite level of proficiency as a pilot and gymnast. Slowly, Patiently, Gradually – they did it.

And so can you – with proper preparation.

Ask yourself: What do I need to do?

• Preparation Matters. The better you prepare, the better your successes in your weekly Vocal Training session. You’ll improve more (and more quickly) over the longer term, too.
• Any preparation you do is good. More is better, but see Gibb’s Rule #5: “You Don’t Waste Good.” You hear me say this in training sessions all the time. It’s true.
• Perfectionism kills progress. Every. Single. Time. One of my rules is that you never keep everything you train for, so don’t expect to. Instead, mindfully set a performance goal of 92-94%. That’s an “A” in anybody’s grade book!
• Self-Talk Matters. At one point or another, I’ve stopped every one of you in the session. I then encourage you to find positive language to describe the training and the hurdles experienced in training. Words matter. Positive words matter more.

Bottom Line: it’s vitally important to prepare outside your weekly Vocal Training session. It could be a little or a lot. Whatever you do contributes to the “cumulative” part of the “cumulative/exponential” equation. Every. Single. Time.

And even when #lifehappens and you don’t feel it, or you miss a training session, don’t blow it off. Decide to keep moving forward. Don’t waste good. Do what you can. You will improve. You will get better.

I’ll close with a paraphrase of a famous quote attributed to coach Vince Lombardi:

Preparation Isn’t Everything. It’s The Only Thing.

#daretoprepare
#dothereps
#majovta