Boost your signal

It doesn’t seem complicated once you learn how. (Image by Pexels)

In audio production, it all starts with the microphone.

The quality of the mic dictates the quality of the sound. It’s got to be set up properly — the correct angle and distance from the sound source. Then, the first volume knob, wherever it is, must be turned up as high as possible without risk of distortion.

That way, the recording is beginning with the strongest and best sound possible as it enters the signal chain. All other volume knobs can be turned down relative to the signal coming from the mic or mic preamp.

You may be familiar with this principle as it applies to playback, where you must similarly optimize the source of the sound. For instance, if you’re playing music from your phone to a car stereo via an audio cable, you should turn your phone’s volume as high as it will go without creating distortion, and then use your car’s stereo to make refinements.

If you don’t do this — for instance, if you keep the initial mic or phone playback volume low and then turn up the volume toward the end of the chain — you are amplifying a weak signal. This often means that you will hear more white noise or even interference through your monitors or speakers. The music has less vitality and impact.

Our work the same way. Metaphorically speaking, the signal is our effort and the amplification is the time we put in. Over and over again, I’ve seen that someone can labor for hours on music, math, writing, sports, or business and have very little to show for it due to low effort. This belief undermines the hard work and leaves them with little progress over time.

This is the kid who spends thirty-five minutes doing twenty math problems without understanding the procedure at all, not bothering to reread any of the material. It’s the business owner who “hates sales” but hasn’t invested in any sales training. It’s the soccer player who is angry about being sidelined for games but spends each practice doing the minimum. It’s the writer whose two-hour writing session is integrated with ninety minutes of procrastination and tab-switching.

Each of these people can claim to have showed up and done the work, but there was a lot of noise in the signal. There is the illusion of effort, but a lack of intensity. Putting in more time isn’t going to yield a much greater result, just as turning up the volume on a poorly recorded piece of music isn’t going to make it sound better.

What’s behind this? I assert that it begins with belief. Your degree of focused effort is directly proportional to the intensity of your belief that you are capable, and your results follow from there.

This isn’t some woo-woo thing — it’s a practical reality. If I don’t believe that I have what it takes to succeed, I won’t even bother asking for help. I won’t look for a better way. I’ll just go through the motions, working inefficiently and halfheartedly. Encouragement and praise will fall on deaf ears, and direct assistance or support will be shrugged off or politely ignored. I’m likely to keep doing the same thing in the same ineffective way. Logging more hours won’t give me the payoff I’m hoping for.

Eventually, I will stop trying. The discomfort of continuing to show up and face my mediocrity will become intolerable, and I will disappear. Whatever signal I was putting out will fade away into nothing.

By contrast, if I cultivate a belief in my ability to succeed at the task at hand, I will assume that any current incompetence can be addressed. Then, I’ll make use of the resources I have to address it. I’ll read the same math problem twenty-five times to understand it. I’ll look up the words I don’t know in the challenging book I’m reading. I’ll ask questions in the meeting. I’ll hire a teacher or coach to guide me. I’ll attend a conference. I’ll watch every possible YouTube video about the correct application of liquid eyeliner. And then I’ll practice, armed with the knowledge of how to make that practice as effective as possible.

When I’m practicing effectively, the time I spend will amplify an already strong output. Experiencing these results motivates me to keep up the good work or even redouble my efforts. That’s when people are going to start saying that I’m talented and the skill comes easily to me. It will appear that way — the volume knob is turned down low, but I’m still getting significant amplitude because there’s no noise in the signal.

I don’t have the magic words to help someone believe in their ability. To me, it’s sort of logical: “If other people can do this, so can I.” True, we may not all have the same degree of aptitude, but just because you’re not LeBron James doesn’t mean you can’t learn to dribble a basketball.

Of course, maybe some of us stall out because we’re afraid we’re not going to be the LeBron James of whatever it is we’re trying to do. To which I kindly, gently, compassionately say, “Get over yourself.” We still want your contribution, even if you’re not going to be The Best.

In any project you undertake, begin with the belief that you are capable. Seek the resources that will help you succeed, including direct coaching and advice from others. Boost that signal to its full strength, and you will have a powerful, high-volume impact.