I Hate Practicing But Love Having Practiced

Sound familiar?  

I hate practicing but love having practiced.  

This article, inspired by the witty saying, "I hate to write but love having written" is about how to make yourself practice your craft and get better step by step.

Why Practice?

Practicing can get boring.  It's hard.  You have to find time, which is already a problem unsolvable.

Next you have to have something to practice.

And really first of all, what is practice?

What is Practice?

Practice is anything you do over and over again on purpose.  

Practice is done in a systematic, regular and rhythmic way according to a specific method over a period of time.

Systematic means that you do the practice a specific amount of time at a specific time of day, or at least decide what days you want to practice, for how long and stick to that.

Regular means you do it on the days you're supposed to.

Rhythmic is the goal, which means you do it at the same time.

When you practice according to a specific method, that means you choose a book, online module or video series as the backbone of your work and you do a certain amount every time you sit down.

For example, if you want to learn to play the piano, you pick a book method, decide to practice for so many minutes per week and start working through your book one page or lesson at a time.

Practice helps you learn to do something in a manageable way.  It also helps you keep your current foundational skills sharp, as you push toward new technical and creative challenges.

What is the Purpose of Practicing?

The purpose of practice is to get better - to grow in your capacity to do the thing well and fast.

Practice is what creates experts, having done the thing so many times that through repetition, the individual gets to be the best at doing that skill set.

It may be that practicing some skill, such as playing piano or singing, will help you in more ways than you have foreseen.

For example - piano practice means spending at least five minutes per day playing piano in your chosen method book.

We recommend the Bastian method whether you're buying for an adult or a kid.  

From personal experience, my Duke educated piano teacher Melissa Campbell started me on Bastian method at 5 years old, and having enjoyed such a wonderful result, I used the adult method on my own private consulting students that want to brush up on their skills.

Even people who balk and rebel at the idea of piano lessons, usually based on some horrible childhood experience, benefit greatly from adding just 5 or 10 minutes to their daily routine.

The point of piano practice specifically is to work the brain.  Studies show the effectiveness that just 30 minutes per day of piano practice can have on children, and now, scientists are proving positive effects in the brains and bodies of adults.

In our own private piano practice, we have had remarkable results including one student who has lost over 35 pounds of doctor prescribed weight-loss using his "piano diet."

If you're looking to improve your brain, making it sharper and more resilient, increase hand-eye coordination and speed in both hands, and provide opportunities for synaptic fusion to take place, look no further than piano lessons using the Bastian method.

Get your books here at our Songpreneurs shop - 

Inquire about Songpreneurs private consultation for help getting you started - 

Why do I hate practicing?

People hate to practice for many reasons.  

It falls into the category of procrastination, putting off things you want to do or really should do because of the pain you associate with the task.

It's the same reason people fall behind on exercise, showering or whatever other repeated task you're tired of doing.

Practicing is a beneficial overall thing that falls into the important and non-urgent category of our day, which means, we're trying to do anything else.

We want the urgent thing, even if it's not important.

We want to answer the phone, check out the blinking light on our notification, eat a snack or maybe even clean our piano bench out, all this before practicing.

That's part of the reason making yourself practice is such a win, because it is a low pressure, low stress and beneficially enjoyable way to make you sit down and do something you maybe don't really want to do right now.

But if you don't do it, you don't get better.

So you do it.  And you feel great after!  And that little bit of great feeling may be enough to push you to practice again tomorrow.

Probably not, though.  You will have forgotten the good feeling by then, and will need to make yourself sit down to practice all over again.

What should I practice?

What you should practice depends on what you're trying to accomplish.

If you're a basketball player, you should practice the foundational things basketball players need to do - dribble and shoot baskets.

If you're a baseball player, you practice throwing, catching and hitting the ball.

If you're a singer, you practice breathing, vocal exercises and phrasing techniques that help you stay on pitch while you're singing for a long time.

If you're a piano player, you practice all the techniques you need to be able to do to play your favorite piece of music.

The most important thing about what to practice is to identify your main field, and then work on those foundational skills, along with some reputable text book and teacher if you can.

If you are working solo, get your text and start reading a set amount each week.  Block out your time to practice your fundamentals, and get busy!

Conclusion

If you hate practicing, it's normal.  You can power through the process using your will power to get to a place where you love having practiced.

The main skills you need to work on are fundamentals in any field of expertise, and the ability to work on those skills in a rhythmic and regular way using a specific method you stick with for a period of time.

If you need help, seek out your expert resources online and in your local community.  There are great teachers everywhere to help your practice.

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The quote "I hate to write but love having written" is usually attributed to Dorothy Parker.  Whether she said it or not, her witty wise-cracks are the stuff of history. 

Get one of her books here from our Songpreneurs shop: