I recently took some much needed time off.  No TV, no phone, minimal internet, and lots of good books to devour.  It was a complete recharge of my system.  I took this time to reconnect to what I like to do best: explore, think, write and create. I had the opportunity to meet new people, try new foods, and most of all, spend time with the person I love the most.

Giving yourself a reboot every once in awhile gets you back on focus, and in the groove.

The Beach Boys are celebrating their 50th Anniversary in 2012, and just announced they are going on tour for the first time in many many years.  In recent interviews with band members Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the same question was asked in regards to how they came up with their music.  It is known that Brian Wilson wrote many of the songs for the Beach Boys.  With their catchy melodies and feel good surfin’ songs, I was surprised to find out that very few bands have ever re-recorded or played their songs because of how complicated they were.  As I am humming the tune to “Surfin’ USA” I can’t believe that something so iconic was complicated.  The groove that the Beach Boys found was unique to them, and will remain their calling card forever.

Like the Beach Boys, finding your groove doesn’t just happen overnight.  It will take time, rewrites, and perhaps lots of shuffling around to make things fit just right.  To create the right sound, feel, look, and message, it may mean you take a step back for a while and open yourself up to what is surrounding you.  Being in the grove doesn’t have to be the case for everything in your life.  Let the momentum of the grove in one area move you into the next, and take off flying.