It sounds stupid right? But I think you may have done the same. Imagine you hear a nice song. It finishes in three minutes. It is nice when I hear it and leaves a void when it's finished. What would you do? Listen to it again?
Now when I think about it, I can see that is not very uncommon thing to happen. We all do that, in a DJ party, in family gathering music party, we request the same song. I had once or twice decided to go beyond listening once or twice. As you all know, if you have read my posts in the past, I like to challenge myself, this time a little experiment.
Outcome of listening to the same song?
So, I listened to the same song, for a one day. (maybe more than one day) following are my observations.
Music is something I like, this song is nice, I can hear it all day- those were my initial thoughts. You know the feeling right? That sensation, when you hear your favorite song for the first time, you do not want it to finish.
After few times hearing it, I started learning the lyrics, I could sing it (ha ha, not like a professional) If you are into learning, from a new skill to anything, repetition is the key right?
Obviously as you guessed it my mind got bored after some time, I needed a new song, this one I know, it ruminates in my mind now even when I am not listening. What is wrong with me?
Kept going on, sometimes until I feel like nauseated, of the same rhythm I loved so much in the beginning.
Now after so long, things have settled, and when I think back and listen to the song, I feel like I am bringing back good old memories with it. And I feel like I can listen to the same song again, all day.
I have learned enough not to trust my mind. At least on the above.
Does this sound familiar to you? After all, listening to the same song is the only thing that we do repetitively. It may be a relationship, your good old job, maybe something you had to eat all day, and the same old route you take. Maybe you are exhausted like me listening to the same song life plays at us day after day.
What is the solution?
I can give you some solutions following traditional pathway of question -> solution. But please do not ever forget to question the question. That is where a real solution can be found (read - question is a missed opportunity to question) Let's not make this a missed opportunity.
Following are my suggestions:
Do not believe that would be happy listening to the same song in the beginning in the first place.
Bring some variety, learn the lyrics, try to sing it, maybe that will keep you going. (at least Queens knew this when they produced Bohemian Rapsody.)
If you are vomiting or sick, please please change the song. You must take care of yourself for the sake of others and you.
If you pass the test, listening to the same song, one day it will generate a good outcome, this can motivate you now.
Again, don't trust your mind. It changes over time.
What about the fact that they say, "Repetition is the key?". Does this mean we should carry on boring tasks until we learn it?
The flow state by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Obviously, this is not the case. Although it is repetition is the key there should be a balance between your level of skills and the challenge. If you are too skilled and doing an easy task repetition will just make you tire yourself into boredom. But if you are pushing your boundary a little more with each repetition, then there is a window for improvement. However, you have to be very careful not to give challenges impossible to do. If that happens there will be over-exhaustion and anxiety as which is counterproductive. Finding this sweet spot between degree of challenge and level of skill is difficult. This is the main idea of the "Flow" the world-famous book by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
In summary:
There is some sweet spot of balance between skill level and challenge so you are having optimal experience. Otherwise listening to the same song is boring and tiering.
Thank you for reading: Have I learned anything listening to the same song?
You may also like to read: To catch the happiness before it hides. (A poem to think about)
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