On Practice.

 What behaviours do you choose to repeat, and what results do they bring you?

Many of us have goals for growth and improvement, be it in our careers, our health or our personal lives. To bridge the gap between the dreams that we have and the results that we desire, we need to make the decision to adopt a practice or a series of steps that we can repeat, in order to cover the ground to our goal.

In his inspiring book “The War of Art”, author Steven Pressfield says: “The professional dedicates himself to mastering technique. The professional is an artist committed to the long haul. Because the professional knows that the essence of practice is not in the final product but in the act itself.”

This does not just apply to artists and their art, but also to business people and their work, athletes and their sport, musicians and their instruments, parents and their raising of children, couples and their relationships – basically anything that requires time and practice for improvement.

It is one thing to decide to learn a new skill or subject, and another to make real progress with it. Progress comes from practice, and practice is a habit that we need to schedule and repeat in order to get closer to our desired level of proficiency. The saying “practice makes perfect” carries quite a bit of pressure with it – perfection seems a very high standard to achieve. Progress means you are improving, or gaining in knowledge, skills and expertise, and the more progress you make, the closer you get to your desired level of expertise.

So, repeat your efforts.

Try, and then try again. Keep pitching up and persevering, and you will cover the ground of learning and growth that you seek. Realistically, some practice sessions will be a struggle – you may feel weak, sluggish, foggy, lacking confidence or frustrated. Other sessions will feel fantastic – you may feel strong, energised, clear, clever and receptive. Most will be just average – where you begin, practice and end – and these are often the most important ones because by persevering with these you get the practice sessions in. Regardless of the quality of the session, there will be a sense of accomplishment in the completion.

Stick with it, and progress is guaranteed to follow.

 Photo by Charlotte Karlsen on Unsplash