The Subtle Habit That Might Be Undermining Your Confidence

06/09/24 • 8 min

You know how people say that little kids don’t have a filter? How they just blurt out whatever thoughts pop into their minds?

Well, the voice in our head can kind of be like that unfiltered 1st grader. Because we often say some rather unkind and borderline abusive things to ourselves quite automatically.

We might not truly believe the mean and discouraging thoughts we think to ourselves - at least at first. But if you’ve ever found yourself struggling with confidence, and started questioning yourself, and wondering if maybe your inner critic was right, you’re not alone.

A 1977 study (it’s an oldie, but goodie) explains why this happens - and gives us some clues on how we might interrupt the automatic habit that often undermines our confidence.
Get all the nerdy details here:
The Subtle Habit That Might Be Undermining Your Confidence

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

You know how people say that little kids don’t have a filter? How they just blurt out whatever thoughts pop into their minds?

Well, the voice in our head can kind of be like that unfiltered 1st grader. Because we often say some rather unkind and borderline abusive things to ourselves quite automatically.

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Previous Episode

Learn More Effectively with This Lesser-Known Mindset Shift

For most of my life, even through college and grad school, regular ol' repetition was probably my most-utilized learning strategy whether I was studying for a test or practicing for my next lesson or performance.
If you've gone through stages like this, you probably remember that this approach is not particularly enjoyable, and is also quite time-consuming. And pretty demotivating too, when you don't get the grade you want or perform as well as you'd like.
You're probably utilizing more effective learning strategies nowadays, but there's an interesting mindset shift that can make a big difference in your learning and retention, that you may not yet have in your toolbox. And no, it's not the growth mindset, if that's what you were thinking! It's something else entirely. 😁
Get all the nerdy details and links to related articles right here:
Learn More Effectively with This Lesser-Known Mindset Shift

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Next Episode

A Teaching Method That Creates Smarter Practicers

I remember my teacher saying to me quite early on in my studies, that her job was not to tell me what to do, but to teach me how to teach myself.
I think we all have that goal in our teaching, but like many things, this is often easier said than done. I mean, how exactly do we teach someone how to teach themself?
In a 2011 study, researchers recruited six music teachers and 45 students, and evaluated a teaching method that does exactly this. They were curious to see if it would lead to better learning and performance results than the "regular" teaching approach.
Spoiler alert: it did.
Click below for all the nerdy details:
A Teaching Method That Creates Smarter Practicers
References
Bathgate, M., Sims‐Knight, J., & Schunn, C. (2011). Thoughts on Thinking: Engaging novice music students in metacognition. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 26(3), 403–409. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1842

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa