Author, musician, and educator, John Erskine, was fourteen when he learned a valuable lesson about life. His piano teacher asked him, “John, how many times a week do you practice and for how long?”

John replied that he tried to practice an hour each day .

His teacher said, “Well, don’t do that. When you grow up, time won’t come in large chunks of time. Practice in minutes, whenever you can find time, before school, after lunch, after school, between chores. Spread your practices throughout the day and music will become part of your life.”

John followed his teacher’s advice and became a concert pianist. He later served as president of the Julliard School of Music and director of the Metropolitan Opera Association.

John also applied the teacher’s advice to his writing interests. He loved to write but had a busy schedule, so he wrote in five and ten minute snatches. To his surprise, he finished a manuscript in just one week. In addition to music, writing became a part of his life and he ended up writing over forty-five books.

Dreams rarely come in large chunks of time. So, whatever your dreams are, you can make them happen by seizing bits and pieces of time as you can, a few minutes here, a few minutes there, a half our here, a half hour there. Before you know it, you will have accomplished your goal. No matter how busy your schedule is, you can do it.

John Erskine did it and so can you.