Practice Makes Perfect
If only I could do it consistently!
By“practice” I mean anything that calls for thoughtful repetition. Thinking about what you’re doing while you’re doing it or after you’ve finished in order to improve next time.
A year ago, I started taking Tai Chi, something I’ve always wanted to do but never got around to.
In my first class, the teacher gently explained that we shouldn’t expect to experience the full benefit of Tai Chi for at least 5 years and then only if we committed to making it a daily practice. Several people didn’t come back for class two, but some of us stuck with it. Do we practice every day? Not even one of us.
Every week, I have good intentions but the best I can muser is a few minutes practice at the end of a workout or just before our class. Why is this? I enjoy Tai Chi and I want to be better so I can eventually experience its greater benefits.
Something similar happens with my piano practice. I’m a rank beginner at that too, but I like playing and love it when I master even the simplest piece. So why is it that I’m always making excuses to my teacher about why I didn’t practice very much or quite enough.
It's not because I’ve never experienced the value of consistent frequent practice. I have and have been amazed at what I was able to accomplish. It’s also not because of a lack of awareness of the benefits of regular practice especially of something that stretches us. It keeps us open, curious, engaged, and growing – which most of us of a certain age know can help us stave off cognitive decline and even extend our lives.
Still, for many of us, me included, committing to practice is hard even when we have the time and the freedom to do it. It’s easy to be half-hearted or walk away from a new activity that’s not urgent or central to our life, or if no one’s counting on us or cares about our success.
And that can be a problem when we’re reshaping our lives post-career and trying to figure out what to do to feel fulfilled and purposeful. Landing on “the thing” that’s perfect for you if you don’t already know what it is, is a matter of sampling or trial and error. But real appreciation and passion for something only blossoms with exposure and mastery. Getting there takes time, giving things a fair chance. Practice.
Falling in Love with Practicing
It occurs to me that the solution is to develop a passion for practice. Love the process and let the outcome take care of itself. But how do you do that in the early days when progress is slow and frustration reigns?
Of course, there are people smarter than me and more accomplished in their field (because they embraced practice) who have written extensively about this, but let me offer you this based on my past experience and from the perspective of a beginner who has not yet fallen in love with their current practices.
Prepare yourself. Establish a short routine you can do before every practice to bring yourself into your practice mindset. Note, your preparation doesn’t have to be solemn. Silly works just as well.
Make practicing fun. Warm up with an element you consistently do well. Rejoice in every small improvement or discovery.
Focus and be present during your practice. Allow yourself to be engulfed by it to the exclusion of everything else. Give it your full attention so you can spot small, encouraging changes, those ”ah ha” moments.
Include something in your practice that stretches you, makes you work a little harder. This will help put you in a flow state and give you the focus you need.
Practice with someone else or in a group. A little soft accountability, and friendly competition can be very motivating. As is the chance to follow someone more skilled than you or guide those a bit less skilled.
Work with a teacher, a coach or a trainer who will push you a bit beyond your capability and cheer you on when you try your best. That person will help instill a love of practice.
Pick a time of day to practice when you’re less likely to feel rushed, cognitively overloaded or physically tired. That said, sometimes practicing can be energizing and just the thing you needed in that moment.
I’m still figuring all this out and trying to take my own advice. I don’t know if I’ll stick with Tai Chi or piano long enough to feel satisfyingly competent. But, in the meantime, I’ll work on showing up to practice with the knowledge that this time I might be ripe to finally nail that Tai Chi move or play that musical phrase with ease.
Happy practicing!