Do It Again

by Tom Leu

In the worlds of music, film, theater, radio and television... any live concert event, recording session, or broadcast, the production always begins with a sound check. This is the time during the set-up when the music gear, microphones, instruments, and amps are tested, tweaked and mixed together to make a sweet sound. This is when the bugs are worked out, equipment fixes get made and the audio gets "dialed in."

Engineers skillfully spin knobs, slide faders, push buttons, check signals, and run effects to get the sound as good as possible up front, prior to show time. But inevitably, some adjustments are going to have to be made once the performance begins, on the fly. Things are sometimes going to have to be revisited, reset, and redone. Such is life...

“A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault.”

- John Henry Newman

With any undertaking, we're wise to do the best we can up front, while carefully balancing on that tightrope between proper preparation à perfectionism à and procrastination. We need to remember to trust our instincts, take the first step, and then adjust once we get started. Jeff Olson, author of The Slight Edge, puts it another way by recommending our approach be... "Ready, Fire, and then Aim." First begin, and then go back and make the necessary adjustments and changes.

So what's the message? Due diligence and proper preparation still don't guarantee things will go off without a hitch. Sometimes you're going to have to do it again, and again, and again to get it right. Do it anyway, do it scared, do it often.

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Tom Leu is an author, speaker, musician, and media personality from Rockford, IL. Tom's RockStar Way™ motivational resources and live presentations blend the insights of teacher with the encouragement of a coach delivering electric inspiration that empowers potential! Blog: www.RockStarWay.com