Lifestyle Design Jimi Hendrix Style (Image from SoFarSoCute)
Lifestyle design seems to be commonly associated with quitting work, earning passive income online and traveling the world. While those are worth while pursuits, I have to believe there is more to living the perfectly designed lifestyle. In my view, a great life is about steadfast devotion to personal greatness and contribution. Few people embody that definition better than Jimi Hendrix.
Lifestyle Design Jimi Hendrix Style
In November 2005, Guitar World magazine published an excerpt of the book, Room Full of Mirrors, a biography of Jimi Hendrix . As you would probably expect Jimi Hendrix didn’t reach the pinnacle of his field by working as little as possible. He paid his dues and earned every ounce of fame he received. Here are some quotes from that article.
“Practicing his guitar was the central activity in Hendrix’s life.”
“He went to bed practicing; he slept with the guitar on his chest; and the first thing he did upon rising was to start practicing again.”
“Hendrix would practice on the way to a gig, play for up to five hours during one of their all-night shows and continue to practice on the car ride home.”
Effort is one of the few controllable precursors of success and Jimi Hendrix definitely put in his 10,000 hours. If you want to be great at anything you have make the necessary sacrifices and get to work. If you are not willing to put in the time to master your life’s calling, then it is just a hobby.
Jimi Hendrix Lifestyle Design Rule #1 – Work Your Ass Off
There are hundreds or thousands of people and companies in your niche with better skills and ideas. Everybody is good now. Good is not good enough, Jimi Hendrix also realized that it was important to entertain fans. We all have seen footage of Hendrix’s flashy playing style and outrageous antics, but few realize how that stage presence was slowly crafted over many years, of endless gigs, with numerous bands.
“He began to play with the guitar behind his back, which he’d seen T-Bone Walker do, and he mimicked Alphonso Young’s trick of playing with his teeth.”
Being exceptional is the price of admission to any chance of real success now. Those that can stand out with finesse and character are the ones that will really explode. You don’t have to set your laptop on fire with lighter fluid, but you do need to get noticed. What are you doing to be remarkable?
Jimi Hendrix Lifestyle Design Rule #2 – People Want to be Entertained
Great talent and a unique presence make you interesting but there is one more missing ingredient.
“Hendrix also took a cue from Young, who told him he’d be wiser to stop practicing during set breaks and go out and meet the audience. That was the way to build fans who would come to see you night after night.”
Humans are the most social of all animals, we all need to connect. People don’t go to conventions to hear presentations, they go to meet people. We don’t go to cafes because we can’t make coffee at home, we go because we need to be around people. I believe that one of the best metrics of great lifestyle design is the quality of relationships we establish and maintain. That is what life is all about. Do you have 1000 true fans?
Jimi Hendrix Lifestyle Design Rule #3 – Relationships are Important
Jimi Hendrix will forever be remembered as a legend in rock n roll because he got all the pieces of the puzzle together. He put in the hours to hone his skills, he developed an entertaining stage presence and he learned to connect with his audience. I believe lifestyle design is about personal excellence. That excellence is not achieved by working as little as possible. In a hyper-competitive world top-performers need to work harder, be more interesting and build deeper relationships with their fans. The question is:
Do you want to be mediocre or do you want to be Jimi Hendrix?
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Fantastic thoughts John! I am liking this 10,000 hour rule more and more every time I read about it. I’m still on my way there, but it’s certainly important to have the drive to seek excellence! This makes me feel a little bit better about the nights I fall asleep with my laptop next to me on the bed and immediately jump back into it first thing in the morning (usually putting in contacts and showering 5 hours later!)
.-= Cody McKibben´s last blog ..It’s Not All About Money—Building a Business is your Chance to Make a Difference =-.