How do you deal with your mind's monkey?

Recently, I saw a friend of mine offering free coaching consultations on Facebook and I naturally asked myself if that was something I would be interested in trying. Oh man, did that little question raise quite the emotional tissy. "You've been living your life pretty well for many years now. You don't need someone else to help you." So, I turned away from the offer and continued about my business. I stumbled upon the offer again later and faced the same reaction. This time, however, I was primed for battle and I sent reason, my greatest defender, into the ring. Unsurprisingly, the fight didn't take long. Logical argument makes it abundantly clear that "giving it a try" in this case has little to no downside (just, perhaps, a little wasted time) and unlimited upside. So, I scheduled an initial consultation.

It turns out that this resistance to change is so common and so long-lived that the Buddhists gave it its own name: Mind Monkey. The name makes a lot of sense I think. You can actually imagine a monkey flinging its feces at your beautiful ideas. I struggle with this moniker, however, as it sends the message that the mind monkey should be forgotten and avoided (as you would do with a monkey threatening you with the undigested bits of his last meal). But perhaps this voice has some value. Maybe instead of ignoring it, we just need to provide balance.

I believe it's time for a thought experiment:

Meet Joe, he's a pretty bad guitar player and singer. One morning he wakes up and says to himself, "I'm going to make a living playing music." Joe's monkey starts flinging: "Well, you're not a very good musician and you don't have a fan base." Here, these statements are more or less true, and I'd say it's crucial that Joe listens. That said, Joe's goals aren't unachievable. With sufficient practice and networking they might be realizable. So, it's probably best that Joe listens to the monkey and, rather than be discouraged, create a plan that will allow him to achieve his dream.

Three years pass and Joe can play some mean guitar and has managed to polish his voice a bit. People are starting to notice and he has a bunch of friends in the music scene that are hiring him and supporting him. He wakes up that day and says "I think it's time to quit my job and go all in with music." Monkey mind resumes flinging: "Seriously?! What, you think you're a good musician now just because you've been practicing? And what if it doesn't work out? How will you pay your bills?"

So what now? The truth of monkey's statements are much more ambiguous. Is Joe a good musician now? Well, there are certainly a lot of people who are much better than he is. Will he be successful? Probabilistically, it's unlikely. And what about bills?

There's no way to answer all these questions with certainty. It's the uncertain paths, however, that generally lead to the greatest reward. So, how can we tread an uncertain path with certainty?

One approach I'm considering is goal-based scheduling. Here's what Joe's might look like:

To go all in to music, I have to meet or exceed these goals:
- $5k saved in the bank.
- $300/month coming in through music-related activities.
- At least 500 people on my mailing list.

To continue music past the first year, I have to meet or exceed these goals:
- $2k saved in the bank.
- $500/month coming in through music-related activities.
- At least 1,000 people on my mailing list.

When the time come for Joe to go all in, the monkey will certainly begin to chatter. This time, however, it's Joe who comes with facts while the monkey has primarily speculation and worry. And, though Joe can't be confident that he'll be a successful musician, he'll be able to walk the path confidently knowing that he met, and continues to meet, his goals.

I'm sure there are many ways to combat monkey mind. What are yours?