Out of Tune

Ever feel like things aren’t just right? They aren’t horrible. In fact, they are good – just not great. It’s like an out of tune instrument. Try as one might to play the right notes and keep time with the beat, it can’t overcome the instrument being out of tune.

I go through phases when everything is going smoothly or even spectacularly. It’s wonderful. Relationships are great. Business is great. I’m sticking to healthy habits. But over time, I get off course somehow. Not too bad at first, but over time it adds up. It can happen in my business or personal life – sometimes both. Then life becomes a struggle. No matter how much I battle, I get further off course.

I imagine a symphony orchestra -- great musicians, beautiful instruments and a skilled conductor all performing a revered masterpiece. Does it just happen that they make great music? Certainly not. They’ve practiced for years – alone and as a group. But there is something else they do before each performance. They tune and re-tune their instruments.

What would happen if they didn’t? The violins might be out of tune with the bassoon or worse, with the piano. And my musician friends tell me that since the piano is no fun to tune on the fly, everybody else has to tune to it. A great symphony of great musicians playing beautiful instruments out of tune – does NOT make great music. If you’ve watched a live symphony performance, musicians tune before they start and often between movements, because they know that it is too important to the orchestra for any instrument to be out of tune.

If a performer ignored the tuning process, she might make it through the piece without anyone noticing. What if she didn’t retune for the whole concert? What if she decided that the tuning she did on Monday should suffice for the week? For the month? Or for 20 years?

Musicians know all too well what we sometimes forget. Without retuning, we can get off course. Taking time to reflect on what we really want in life and noticing whether we’re still on track is as vital to a human being as listening to the strings of one instrument in relationship to the orchestra. And it’s not just noticing the difference, but taking action by making adjustments that keeps us in tune.

When I feel out of tune with the other performers in my business and personal life, it offers a wonderful opportunity to reflect. Maybe I’m the one IN tune and I should keep marching to my own drum. Maybe I should be in a different orchestra. But often – usually, in fact – I’ve gotten a wake up call that I need to take some time to reflect on my choices, my behaviors and my attitudes. Doing so occasionally (or better yet – regularly), allows me get back in tune with myself and with those around me.

Life is meant to be exciting and inspiring and beautiful – like a symphony. We start with a desire to participate. We develop life skills along the way. We find mentors to help and encourage us. We develop personal and professional networks that complement our strengths. We practice diligently. We find some success and learn from mistakes. But we assure continued success, by taking time to re-tune regularly.