Monday, August 17, 2009

Break Out of Your Comfort Zone: The Powerful Role the AGO Exams and Other Worthy Life Goals Play in Our Lives

Everything you want is just outside your comfort zone. Robert Allen

Most of us look forward to fall because it brings renewal in our professional lives; or, for some of us, because our kids go back to school. It’s a time of changes - setting new goals, new schedules, tackling new subjects, whether teacher or student – and it’s also the time to begin preparation for an AGO exam. Change is a constant in life – it’s not an option. If we don’t orchestrate it for ourselves, life will do it for us. I prefer to be the conductor in my life whenever possible, don’t you? With intent and drive, I used the AGO exams to open doors in my professional life - and if I can do it, you can too - and probably better!

Over vacation, while my teenagers were away at camp, I learned to sail. On the fourth night, I took the test and got my solo rating. My first solo cruise was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. Afterward, I experienced a totally unexpected gift - the exhilaration, energy and vitality permeated every other area of my life as well - I got wind in my sails! And that’s what happens to people preparing for the exams - or undertaking other thoughtful, cognitive risk in their lives. The people we know who are contributing the most in life and getting the most out of life are the ones who are always growing, reaching out, discovering and learning across the very different, but interconnected areas of their lives. I cannot overemphasize how important it is for you to ‘Go For It’ and put yourself among them!

In his poem, “The Time Before Death”, Kabir invites the reader to ‘Jump into experience while you are alive!... plunge into the truth, find out who the Teacher is, Believe in the Great Sound!’ His statement ‘When the guest is being searched for, it is the intensity of the longing for the guest that does all the work’ – tells us that we have within us what we need to help us break out and jump into experience – ‘the intensity of the longing’ – the wind in our sails. For most of us organists – one of the most significant of these areas of intense longing is music.

Once we ‘jump into the experience’ and break out of that circle of comfort – we’ve entered a whole new, larger circle – not just one little nob on the circle. The larger circle is the circumference of our lives which is now enlarged and energized because of our boldness in one area. Even though I’ve had lots of experience with things that scare me, I still don’t like having to break into yet another level of daring, who does? We set a course in life, but just as we ‘tack’ in sailing in order to work with the wind – cutting first one way and then the other to progress toward our destination, in life we have to continue to adjust the course, each time reaching further, or in a new direction, because the route to the goal is never a straight line.

For several years now, I’ve been helping individuals, families and small businesses discern directions as their Life coach or building effective teams. I am really passionate about helping musicians pursue their art. Preparing for an AGO exam is a great way to do that and add a lot of wind to your sails at the same time. Just for a moment - silence your inner critic. Don’t edit your dreams...’I’ve never been able to transpose, I can’t perform for a judge, I’m too old’. In sailing terms that’s ‘irons’ (shackles) – no wind in your sails - you’re stuck. Stay open for just a minute and I’ll give you some compelling reasons to take an AGO exam this year - and I’ll back them up with facts!

The exam process affords greater opportunities for employment.
Even teenagers taking the exams tell me that this is true. After I took and passed the Colleague and Associate exams, I went from a ¼ time position to a ¾ time position. I’m one of only a few musicians I know getting my second sabbatical.

The exam process develops Vital Friendships with colleagues.
In Vital Friends, Tom Rath says that people with at least three close friends at work are 96% more likely to be extremely satisfied with their lives. Where are we church and temple musicians, who are often isolated in our work, going to get those ‘work’ connections? The connections and friendships made through the Guild and the Exam Preparation process are vital to our health and happiness. Rath identifies eight vital roles our friends play in our lives – Builder, Champion, Collaborator, Companion, Connector, Energizer, Mind opener. Exam study groups offer candidates a way to connect with each other as well with colleagues who teach them and play many of these roles for the candidate. We all need people who play these roles to us – as well as needing to play these roles for others. I have been gifted with the most amazing friendships through the guild as a result of the exam process. This is not a choice – you need these friendships!

The exam process prepares our future leaders.
Just look at our Regional and National leaders and committee members and you’ll find many are certified. I’ve served on The Boston Chapter’s Executive Board, Program Committee, Young Organists Initiative, and have been honored to serve as Region I Coordinator for Education.

The exam process provides an opportunity to access some of life’s highest qualities.
Over sixty years ago, Abraham Maslow proposed that living creatively and purposefully in life are among the highest qualities life has to offer – at the top of his pyramid of human needs. Today, in ‘The flat world’, ‘time-saving’ technology isolates us in front of screens, depersonalizes us, and breeds passivity. We need new, creative challenges to continue to develop our artistry and bring balance to our 21st century lives. Most who have taken an exam say the experience broadened them, opened their minds, and gave them skills which freed them to be more creative in their work.

The exam process gives invaluable help in practical skills which seem to intimidate many organists.
Even though I have a Masters in Music, I never really grasped transposition, modulation and improvisation until I took the exams. And I hear this over and over again from colleagues as well. Preparation for the exams makes us more complete, confident musicians.

To set yourself up for Success and not failure and frustration, make sure you take these Five Essential Steps of Making a Successful Change. These steps can be used to take action on ANY goal you set for yourself, professional or personal.

Know your vision/purpose – certification – or any other worthy goal…Without a purpose or vision, your change will end up in confusion.

Acquire the skills and talents you’ll need to make your change/pass the exam Lack of skills produces anxiety over our inabilities.

Know your incentives and motivations – both intrinsic and extrinsic - the “rewards” and feelings of satisfaction. Motivations are key to accomplishing anything.

Identify and acquire the resources you’ll need. Limited resources are frustrate our efforts.

Develop your action plan. Write down your steps, timetable, and milestones.

You can find complete information on all the exam level requirements at AGOHQ.org by clicking on Education and Certification, Professional Education, Certification Chart, and Requirements. The Bookstore has lots of great exam resources. Make sure to get the exam level study guide, and other wonderful publications. Check to see if your chapter or region has a peer level study group, or start one. You can also check out my Regional Exam Blog at newenglandexams.blogspot.com for further information and a place to share ideas.

Whatever your goals are, I cannot over-emphasize how important it is to seek out a mentor and teacher, because, when someone believes in you, you can do amazing things (Robert Rosenthal’s Pygmalion effect). Mentor relationships energize us by helping to give us direction, inspiration, information, energy and role modeling. I’ve had many wonderful mentor relationships, and no one yet has said ‘No’ when I’ve asked their advice, including complete strangers. Go right to the top – ask the person you most admire.You will not believe how many times you will get an answer – and probably more. The generosity and talent of our AGO colleagues never ceases to impress me.

Be your own mentor as well - believe in yourself and be your own best friend. Meditation can help facilitate self awareness, self respect, and self knowledge in the most gentle and kind way. Eliminate the negative people in your life - so, duh, don’t be a negative person in your life! Monitor negative self talk and negative energy such as thoughts and actions centered in fear, anxiety, apathy, anger, pride, craving, regret, blame, scorn, etc. Energy drains will have to go, too. We all know what and who they are – and gossip is the biggest one. Manage your own time. If you want more tools for self discovery and motivation - I can give you plenty!

Breaking out of our circle of comfort is a skill we can use to change and energize our lives in every area. We all know the expression If you think you can, you can, if you think you can’t, you can’t. William Blake said it this way – ‘If the sun and moon would ever doubt they would immediately go out’. Doubt is the biggest dream-killer in the world – bar none! Successful people have just as many doubts – but they don’t pay any attention to them. The AGO exams are a wonderful vehicle which enables us to access and channel our real inner power and get the wind flowing over our sails. After the ALCS Game 5 last fall – the Red Sox 8-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, down 7-0 in the 7th – the greatest come from behind victory in playoff history - Jonathan Papelbom said - I never doubted for a moment that we could do it! That’s true inner power. That’s performing under pressure! You can use YOUR energy to shape your work in the same way. And next spring, when you take your exam – you’ll hit one out of the park!

Don’t forget to tell me how you do.

1 comment:

  1. Cheryl, thanks for the great, positive piece to encourage participation in the exam process! I was very pleased to see and read it in TAO. Keep the successes coming! - Carrol Hassman, FAGO, ChM

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