no, this will not be a military exercise (though the title sure sounds like it). all serious professionals should be concerned with their ability to command things. their mind. their hands. workflow. others’ attention. fill in the blank here. the question becomes — what is the best way to achieve command? well, i have a suggestion. step back from the thing you are trying to command and attempt to command something else. explore parallels. do not fall sucker to your “inner western struggle” and force the mastery at hand. somewhere in the mix with strength, endurance, wits and the like is a little thing called finesse. it is subtle. it is not easily achieved. it comes with a broader knowledge of how things work. one that far exceeds the task in front of you.
let me provide an example here. i recently picked up a new musical instrument for fun. ok, it’s a bit more than fun in that i plan to use it heavily on my new record in 2011 (yes, i create and record original music under the moniker 9davine). and it’s not entirely new in that i know how to play a sister instrument. however, the principles are relevant. the instrument is a cajon. it is essentially a wooden box — and one of the simplest instruments on earth. anyone can sit down to play it, get sound out of it, etc. it is the most basic, compact form of a drumkit in that you can get a bass, snare, tom and metallic sound out of it by playing it just right.
beyond simply hitting it, here’s how you command it. loosen up. control how hard you hit the instrument. control where you strike. get your hands quickly off of it behind each slap. think in terms of swimming. allow your arms and hands to be both decisive yet supple. settle into a steady beat. it looks simple. it is very difficult. the key to mastering it? finesse. it’s one thing to hit something and it’s another to spring to and from it. the same parallel exists in hitting a baseball (yes, i also play baseball). you can swing stiffly and attempt to clobber the ball, or you can swing more fluidly to catch and fling the ball. believe it or not, the latter provides far more power. i hit home runs and i’m a baseball midget at 5′ 9″.
so — in summary here. back away from the thing you are attempting to master. find something else that is wholly different yet will share lessons in its execution. make an honest effort to master it. free your mind inside of the task. be aware of what’s going on. even before you get anywhere, the reasons for why you were struggling with the original task should come into focus. be patient — as it’s not immediately obvious for all folks. there’s something profoundly magical in these parallels, i promise you. give it a try. let me know what happens. if you have previous stories to share, then please do tell!
