WHY PRACTICE IS EVERYTHING
If we frame everything we do each day as practice, then perfection has no place in any experience. Perfect is simply a human-ego created construct and serves no purpose. Perfectionism is just one of the many thought-viruses that lead to personal despair and division. We are not static, and the idea of perfection in human form is hilarious.
The only thing worth seeking is an increase in the focus of our practice. The category doesn't matter. The key to successful practice is to breaking steps into achievable chunks. For example, if we're practicing improving our health, the first step might be walking ten minutes a day for nine days. If we're practicing connecting with people, we might smile at three people a day for five days, while maintaining eye contact. Once we achieve a certain practice level, we, hopefully, acknowledge that moment before we attempt the next level of practice. This acknowledgment can manifest as sharing it with others or as a conscious nod to the Self for a job well done. If you do Goal Scouts, you might give yourself a badge.
Playing an instrument, like a piano, is a perfect metaphor for the focus of practice. We begin with learning basic information. First, we do some information retention practice. We're introduced to dots and lines on a page. We learn they're called notes. Then, through more focus and retention practice, we learn how notes on a page correspond to white and black keys on the piano. After practicing focus long enough, the location of some of the ebony and ivory keys get stored, well enough, in our long term memory. We increase our stores through scales practice, which leads to muscle memory. Then we blend keyboard muscle memory with knowledge of notes on the page and learn a song. We progress from there. It's all practice. When we've practiced several songs enough times to move through them with minimal errors, we get to practice playing in front of others. We call that a recital. After we practice incorporating increasingly complex combinations of notes and finger movement on the keyboard, we get to practice more recitals. And on and on it goes. If we stick with the practice, we level up.
Today I am practicing creativity, moxie, showing up, and courage. I do this by writing and posting a blog post — not a big deal to some, but still a challenge for me in some ways. So, using our piano metaphor, it's a form of a mini-recital. Or graduation. Or it is merely sharing. It doesn't matter what I call it because for me the payoff is gratification. The gratification comes from having practiced writing long enough to share a blog post, and that fills me up. Will anyone see this, besides a few of my close friends or relatives? Maybe, or maybe not. But the feeling of pride and accomplishment that fills my being as I get ready to push the publish button is indescribably beautiful and priceless. I've arrived at share.
Hardly game-changing, in the realm of accomplishment, but it's a big deal to me. Because I have, once again, practiced the 1,2,3,4 of stumbling through the "not-good-enough" yucks that visit when I'm learning and creating something new. Every time I find the courage to practice moving through a creative experience, I slay thought-viruses. Sometimes the thought-viruses originated with others, but often they bubbled up in my head. With focus and moxie, they have been disinfected, for now. With every accomplishment, I grow stronger, and practice gets me there.
What are you practicing?