What Are You Doing While You Wait?
In 1999, at a concert in Amsterdam, pianist Maria João Pires faced a moment that would be a complete nightmare for any musician. She had been brought in at the last moment to fill in with Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Chailly, and she suddenly realized the orchestra started Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 instead of the No. 23 as she expected and had practiced. This was not some simple song that could be easily improvised, but a complex concerto.
For several moments, she could be seen in complete anguish as panic threatened to step in. She explained to the conductor (while the concerto was being played) that she had learned the piece from the previous year by accident. Chailly was calm and upbeat, telling her he had confidence in her and she could do it.
With the audience oblivious to the potential disaster that awaited them, the music died away for the piano solo...and Maria played a remarkable, flawless performance from memory. The event, captured on video during a packed lunch concert, showcased her incredible skill and memory as she successfully switched to the correct, dramatically different minor-key concerto.
What could have been a crushing moment of defeat and embarrassment serves instead as a shining testimony to skill. How in the world was it possible for her to do such an incredible thing? She had been working behind the scenes before the spotlight moment came for her.
So many people wait for those incredible moments in life when the boss will finally give them a chance to shine, or when they can finally step into the spotlight, but they don't prepare for them. Instead, they wait, thinking they'll be perfectly prepared to improvise when the situation arises.
But it's the behind-the-scenes moments that make or break opportunities. Maybe you don't see the possibility of that big break at work coming, or that opportunity to lead, or that moment to shine being apparent, but take this time to prepare anyway! If the moment comes tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year, it doesn't matter — be ready when it does!
What do you want to see happen this year for you personally or professionally? What would you consider that perfect opportunity that would take you to the next level? Now prepare for it. Sometimes those moments in life happen just once, so make sure you are ready when it does.
Plan, prepare, and practice as if today is the day the opportunity comes...because one day it might surprise you. Get ready to shine when the spotlight is on you!
By the way, you can watch a portion of Maria's incredible performance in this video. Keep in mind, she did this with absolutely no practice time or preparation. This was completely in the moment.
Comments