The Mind Over Finger Podcast - 244 One Sentence to Change Your Year: How to turn resistance into real momentum

Starting point is 00:00:00 You're listening to the Mind Over Finger podcast. This is episode 244. Welcome to the Mind Over Finger podcast, where we dive into the world of mindful music making, peak performance, and crafting a purpose-driven life and career. I'm your host, violinist, certified performance and life coach for musicians, and your guide to unlocking your full potential, Dr. René-Paul Gaultier. Hello, musician friend. Happy New Year. I'm so happy you're here. I'm excited for everything this year holds for you, whether you're gearing up for auditions, building a new routine, or simply trying to show up more fully for your practice. This is a fresh page. Speaking of fresh page, I'm planning a lot of fun things for you in 2026,

Starting point is 00:00:55 and I can't wait to share more as the episodes unfold. But for now, let's just dive in. If you caught the last episode, episode 243, we talked about one of the most important mindset shifts you can make as a musician, which is to operate from the be, do, have approach. So instead of waiting to feel confident once you achieved a goal, you start by deciding to be that version of yourself now and then you take action from that place and over time you become that version one choice at a time. But let's be honest, that's not always easy. What about the days when you're tired, when you feel behind, when you know what the best version of you would do but you're tempted to fall back into old habits. That's where today's tip comes in.

Starting point is 00:01:55 This is one of my favorite tools. It's super simple, but incredibly powerful. And it helps you take the be-do-have mindset and actually use it on the hard days. It's a little sentence you can fill in and it goes like this. Because I blank when I blank, I'm going to blank even though I blank. Let me show you how it works. Let's say you're feeling resistance around practice. You're procrastinating. You feel disconnected. Try this. Because I feel more confident when I'm prepared. I'm going to schedule short, focused practice blocks, even though part of me wants to avoid it. Or maybe your warm-up feels rushed or scattered. You could use this sentence. Because I feel grounded when I warm up slowly, I'm going to start with mindful scales,

Starting point is 00:03:00 even though I'm tempted to dive into the concerto. Or maybe you're avoiding recording yourself like so many of us do. You could use this sentence. Because I always feel more expressive after recording myself, I'm going to hit record even though I don't like hearing my own playing. this sentence helps your brain do two really important things the first one is that it connects you with your why and you remember what actually works for you and how it makes you feel and number two is that you acknowledge the resistance without letting it win you see it

Starting point is 00:03:51 you name it you respect the version of you who's experiencing that resistance that pull of the old habits you honor that person because that's a normal human behavior and we don't judge it so you acknowledge the resistance and then you move forward anyway and by the way This is not just a clever sentence. It actually connects to psychological research on what is called implementation intentions and self-identity. We talked about that in episode 242 as well. For example, studies on implementation intentions show that when people frame their intentions in a clear if-when-then format, they're much more likely to follow through with action even when resistance or discomfort shows up. Implementation intentions help bridge the gap between the

Starting point is 00:04:57 intention and your action by pre-specifying when and how you're going to act exactly like the sentence you're given today. In addition to this, research on identity and self-belief or self-efficacy, as we talked about in episode 242, demonstrates that when people see themselves as someone who practices or someone who persists or someone who shows up, they tend to engage more consistently and with greater resilience than when they rely on external achievements to validate their worth. And these findings help explain why deciding who you are becoming, not just what you want to do, creates real shifts in behavior and performance. I'm going to put a couple links in the show notes if you're curious to learn more about this.

Starting point is 00:05:56 so this is how you keep building trust in yourself even when it's hard this is how you build and implement new habits because they're rooted in self-identity rather than forcing you to tap into your willpower all the time here are some more life-related examples for good measure sentences you could use in your daily life. Because I feel calmer when I plan ahead, I'm going to set a weekly schedule for practice and rest, even though I'd rather be spontaneous. Because I show up stronger when I take care of my body, I'm going to find time to stretch and walk every day, even though I feel too busy, or maybe do workout or do yoga, whatever works for you. Because I trust myself more when I reflect, I'm going to journal for five minutes each night,

Starting point is 00:07:01 even though I'd rather scroll on my phone. One more. Because I feel aligned when I connect with my vision. I'm going to visualize my future self every morning, even though my brain says it's pointless. So here's your challenge. Write out your own version of this sentence today. Think about something you've been avoiding or a habit you're trying to build and use the sentence to gently walk yourself back into alignment. Again, here it is. Because I blank when I blank, I'm going to blank even though I blank. It's quick, it's powerful, and it might be just what you need to turn the page with clarity and purpose. And hey, try this sentence a few times this week and let me know how it goes. Send me a DM or tag me on Instagram.

Starting point is 00:08:09 I would love to hear how you're using this tool in your real life. And don't forget, if you're loving these mindset shifts, we're doing this kind of work every week inside the Music Mastery Experience. It's not just about practice. It's about better thinking, more trust, more freedom. And I'd love to support you in that work. All right, that's it for today. One simple sentence, one small shift, one step closer to the musician you want to become. Happy music making and à bientôt. And there you have it. Thank you so much for spending this time with me today. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you'd share with your friends and colleagues.

Starting point is 00:09:01 Take a screenshot, post it on social media and tag me. I'm mind over finger everywhere. I always love hearing your favorite takeaways. And if you're ready to take your playing career to the next level, I'd love to invite you to join the Music Mastery Experience. This is my signature group coaching program where we're going to dive deep into building your confidence and mastery and set you up for success and fulfillment in your life and career. You can find all the details at mindoverfinger.com. While you're there, check out the free downloads

Starting point is 00:09:39 and online courses available to support your journey even further. And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter so you never miss an update or a tool to help you thrive. Again, thank you for being here. Until next time, much love and à bientôt.

The Mind Over Finger Podcast - 244 One Sentence to Change Your Year: How to turn resistance into real momentum

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.