I've been writing about practicing since about 2010, trying to understand what works and why.
Along the way I've been looking for the grand unified theory of practicing – a concise, easy-to-explain set of ideas that contain everything I've learned so far. The search continues, but every now and then a new piece of the puzzle emerges.
The newest piece is this:
It's important to make practicing easier.
Easier, not easy. Practicing can be hard. But not stunningly hard. Not insurmountably hard. Just day-to-day hard. Hard to get started. Hard to figure out what to do. Hard to keep going. Hard to stay interested. Hard to deal with the solitude. Hard to fit into who you are.
But you can make it easier, and, depending where you are in your practicing these days, that doesn't have to be too complicated.
The first Big Idea in First, Learn to Practice is this:
If you're not enjoying your practicing, change it until you are.
It's easier to do things you enjoy than it is to do things you don't enjoy. So make your practicing more enjoyable.
Most people enjoy things more when they know what they're doing, when they see a point to it, when they feel like they're getting better at it, and when they're in charge. So:
Give some thought what you want to accomplish. Give yourself a challenge that's both optimistic and realistic, and write it down.
Embrace this idea: Your practicing is yours, and you can do what you want with it. You want it to be better? Great – make it better. Also this idea: Your practicing is worth the time you decide to spend on it.
Poke around Practice Better Play Better to learn about how to practice. (It's free!) And, of course, there's First Learn to Practice, too, on Amazon. (Reasonable, but not free.)
Take pride in your practicing, pride that's separate from your playing. Most of us who practice don't play as well as we'd like to, and that can get discouraging. But practicing? If you showed up, worked on your challenge, and stayed with it until your time was up, that's more than most people do. Be proud.
It's also easier to do things that fit into your life. So take a realistic look at your calendar and schedule a realistic about of practicing time. (Make it as close to daily as you can.) And whether you have a lot of time or a little, jump into that time with both feet every time it comes up.
Last thing for now. It's easier to do things that you do all the time. Practicing responds to routine and habit. Build some regularity into your practicing, any way you can. Same basic things to work on, same time every day (more or less), same place every day.
I think of this as adjusting your grip. If you're holding a tennis racquet too loosely or too tightly, what do you do? Relax a little, loosen your grip, think for a second about what you know your ideal grip is like, and then pick up the racquet with a fresh grip and start again. Maybe your grip on your practicing is too tight; maybe it’s too loose. You may just need to adjust it a little.
Welcome to Practistan!