As a society, we’ve coined the phrase “practice makes perfect” when in reality, perfection actually isn’t the outcome of practice- nor should it be the goal. The pressure to achieve unrealistic standards of “perfection” in this generation can be suffocating at times. Practice is too often seen as a means to an end, instead of something that can be the chance we need to learn more about ourselves and how we persevere. Practice can be more of a mental challenge than we realize. It seems that the concept of practice would easily be categorized as training the body, because in most contexts practice is mentioned within the realm of sports. However, practice is only as effective at improving performance as it is, because of the mental challenges we are forced to face while practicing. What we’re really doing is training the mind. Practice tests our patience and our drive to get back up and try again. It’s not the practice itself that gets us to our goals, it’s our response to the frustration the practice will bring.We have to go to the frustration, meet it, and use our intuition to overcome it. Practice won’t be perfect, so how will we respond? Practice will test our limits, so how will we respond? Recognize the pattern? Practice will test our patience because it’s something that we will want to control, but we have to let go of everything else in order to enter practice mindfully and purposefully. Mindful practice allows us to regulate our emotions and observe our own progress without fear of judgment. Success doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a daily practice that makes you choose your priorities, gives you focus, continuity, hope, and shows pursued interest in your goals. Practice makes us better because it encourages us to correct our mistakes. It’s the experience we gain from our practice that makes things become easier with time. In order for us to use this experience, we have to first see practice as something that is to be sustained and consistent. Consistency is what builds muscle memory and gives us the guidelines and support we need as we continue to show up for our practice.
Practice Makes…Patience? Practicing In A Sustainable Way
