Moving The Needle
"Moving the needle" in life often means making small yet impactful changes that ultimately lead to growth and progress. Whether it’s setting a daily goal to improve physical health or dedicating time to learn a new skill, each step helps inch closer to your aspirations. I've discovered that even minor adjustments, like revising morning routine or nurturing relationships with friends and family, can create ripples of positivity that enhance both personal and professional life. By focusing on these steady improvements, it allows people to feel empowered to create the momentum needed to reach long-term goals and truly thrive.
For the sake of this blog post, I am going to use the example of a guitar tuner. For me, the comparison is consistent with that of life choices and goals. It allows for ‘tuning’ in many different ‘keys’, much like the humans experiences and individuality. When you put too much pressure to tune the strings higher and higher, it creates so much tension that they snap. The needle moves at many stages, even being out of tune, but the balance and tonality can be WAYYYY off. Moving the needle (even in the wrong tune) is still an approach to find that harmony, to get “in-tune” and be balanced.
HOW DO WE TUNE A GUITAR WITH A TUNER?
To tune a guitar with an electric tuner, first, ensure your tuner is powered on and set to the standard pitch (usually A440). Start by plucking the lowest string, the low E string (6th string), and watch the tuner display. It will indicate whether the pitch is flat, sharp, or in tune by the showing of a needle and green light. Adjust the tuning peg on that string accordingly—tighten it if the pitch is flat or loosen it if it's sharp—until the tuner shows the note is perfectly in tune. Repeat this process for each string in order: A (5th string), D (4th string), G (3rd string), B (2nd string), and high E (1st string). Regularly check the tuning as you go, since adjusting one string can sometimes affect others. So now that you have a basic understanding…
WHAT IS THE EQUIVALENT TO A ‘TUNER’ IN MY LIFE?
Of course, medical checkups, tests and scans all give us feedback as to whether or not things are “in-tune” but more so, our bodies and symptoms give us a pretty good reading, too. The movement of the needle are the results of testing and check-ups but also the symptoms (or lack thereof) in our bodies, better sleep, less stress, better mood, less illness, etc.
WHAT DO I USE TO CHANGE THE TUNE AND MOVE THE NEEDLE TO A BALANCED STATE?
Change the tune by picking up on the strings that sound completely out of whack! To elaborate, all the strings can be harmonious but there is just one that is clearly off track. First you determine which “string” it is.
Let’s compare the 6 strings to life: Exercise, Nutrition, Sleep, Stress, Hormones, Relationships. Which one is throwing the whole sound off? YOU are the key, you are the one who controls where that sound goes. Being aware of it wakes you up to just how that one ‘string’ being out throws off the whole sound. Sometimes it’s just a little tiny turn to bring it into harmony. Sometimes, you gotta change the whole damn string.
So, you use your own body to make the adjustments. You are the KEY! Evaluate each area of your life to establish where the needle moves completely out of tune and where you’ve got it balanced and juicy. And know this, the strings never stay tuned. You’ve got to adjust that sucker time and time again, replacing strings, parts, getting accessories, etc. to move that needle and get the sound you’re looking for. Once you get the basics down of just keeping things in tune, then you can really learn how to bring it all together to play harmonious chords of all different kinds that will move the needle in a beautifully balanced way.
OK, DO WHAT ABOUT WHEN ONE STRING IS PERFECTLY TUNED UP AND THE OTHERS DOWN, ETC. DOES THAT MATTER?
You have likely experienced what it’s like to be high on life in one area and then another part of life falls short or hits low? It’s tuned individually, but it’s unharmonious together. For instance, your Nutrition and Exercise may be high and on point, but sleep, stress, hormones and relationships are LOWWWW. The tuning may be there. The “strings” are still sounding ok individually, but bringing it together is not at all right. So you find a key in the middle, that sweet spot. Move the needle on each individual “string” or area of life until that harmonious and balanced sound hits. But hey, some people pick up a guitar and being completely tone deaf, or not understanding how a tuner works or even knowing it exists, they play their entire life thinking the song is golden and it’s a bop either way. The tuner would tell a very different story but without the knowledge or know-how, they’ll never know.
WHAT IF THAT’S ME? WHAT IF I’M AT A LOSS WITHOUT THE TUNER? WHAT IF I’M TONE DEAF?
Some of us have the tuner in our ‘case’ but we prefer to just wing it, to ‘play it by ear’ so they say. It’s not until we allow ourselves to take the help and actually SEE the needle move to guide us that we find that “needle” useful. Sometimes, it’s too dark to see the needle or the batteries are done for and we are waiting on some new energy to make the needle move again. You’re not at a loss. Maybe you’re tone deaf, but grab the tuner anyway and then when you check and see that the needle is moving FARRRR away from being balanced or centered, you’ll have learned a lesson. You’ll realize just how much you thought you knew but understand maybe why everyone around you kept asking you to change your “tune” when you thought you were playing along beautifully.
Anyone can open themselves up to use the tools necessary, to see and watch and move the dang needle. Just learn how to use it, learn the strings, pay attention to what moves the needle in your life. Find space to be consistent in picking up your instrument daily. To practice, to play, to feel, to hear, and to understand how to get and keep it in tune.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE!
This is your call to action. Get a notebook or a sheet of paper and write out the “strings” of your life:
Nutrition
Exercise
Sleep
Stress
Hormones
Relationship
*What’s in tune? How are they all playing in harmony? Is one string throwing the whole sound off? How will you make the change to move that needle and see harmonious change? Let me know in the comments.
CONCLUSION
We are all just trying to find ways to make it click, hoping to get that a-ha moment that brings clarity. I’ll work with metaphors and analogies over and over and in many different way to help my clients, students, readers and listeners find something to latch onto. Sometimes, I go a little outside of the lines (I don’t usually do things any other way). Stick with me as I continue to deliver as much as I can in my lifetime to lead and coach you to living your best life.
Until next time and In Love and Light,
Mandy Hunter