Dreams without goals are just dreams

Perhaps you have seen or listened to the inspiring speech of Denzel Washington which he made in 2016 for University of Pennsylvania graduates. It is a great speech; you can see or listen to the full version here.

These words should resonate with anyone who aspires to become a professional musician.
“Dreams without goals are just dreams and ultimately they fuel disappointment. On the road to achieving your dreams, you must apply discipline and, more importantly, consistency, because without commitment you'll never start, but without consistency, you'll never finish.”
As an actor he failed numerous times but never gave up, taking audition after audition, getting better and better with each attempt. So, if you are passionate about what you do and persistent as well, you’ll eventually succeed.

Not quite, though.

The answer lies in another line from the same speech: Don’t confuse movement with progress.
So, don’t just practice for several hours a day. Instead, think about what you want to achieve and how to actually do it. How to be more efficient in eventually reaching your goal.

You can learn a lot by constantly recording and listening to your performance, but you’ll most likely get to the next level once you find the right flute master and care enough to apply that knowledge in practice.

Godspeed!