Lesson 7 "The Power Of Practice"

What’s The Problem With Practice?

Well, many people don't like to practice, don't do it enough, and don't use their practice time productively...

Some people also find it difficult or don't know what to do when they are supposed to be practicing.

On the other hand take professional athletes for example.

They typically spend about 90 percent of their time practicing and training - in order for them to attain mastery and be able to perform just 10 percent of the time...

Wouldn't it be great if we had as much time to dedicate to practice and mastery as the pros do?

Most of us don’t have as much practice time as the pros do... However, when learning any new skill, practice is still very important as it overwrites old habits and patterns.

Everything You Do Repeatedly Becomes Your Practice...

Whether this practice is good or bad, when you do something again and again and again, it becomes a routine practice a habit.

For example,

- Overeating is a practice

- Worrying is a practice

- How we handle disappointments is a practice

- Even the way we approach money is a practice

One of the most important things you can ever learn is how to practice. 

If you learn how to practice effectively, you can certainly go on to learn and do anything you like.

Be sure to cultivate modest expectations with your practice and every time you reach a desired goal or breakthrough, enjoy it.

And above all keep practicing, always knowing and believing you will have some further goal to aim for.

There's really no other way around it

Learning any new skill involves relatively brief spurts of progress, you have to practice persistently, striving to fine tune your skills and also to attain new levels of ability...

But while doing so you must be willing to spend most of your time and dedication towards practice, even when you seem to be getting nowhere in a hurry.

It’s essential you always keep a positive outlook when undertaking any new practice as boredom is one of the greatest enemies of practice.

Effective practice requires a certain amount of repetition and routine.

Sometimes the isolation during any practice session can cause the mind to wander, then our concentration begins to stray, and finally a voice in the back of our head reminds us of a dozen things we would rather be doing than practicing.

But We Should Always Remember,

"Knowledge Is Of No Value Unless You Put It Into Practice"

Whatever our age, our upbringing, or our education, what we are made of is mostly unused potential...

It should be our desire and destiny to use what is unused, to learn and keep on learning for as long as we live.

As Richard Bach once said, “Ask yourself the secret of your success. Listen to your answer, and practice it” 

Practice may not be a mind power, but it sure plays a tall part in helping you to develop them, and without practice real mastery can never be attained.

For a person who is on the mastery journey its best conceived as something you have or something you are, rather then something you do.

And practice is the path upon which you travel.