The Importance of Practice and Preparation

I used to shy away from certain activities. Why? Because I believed that I had to do them well or not do them at all. If I didn’t have any natural talent, then clearly they weren’t for me. On to the next pursuit.   Sometimes this approach makes sense. Take, for example, trying to play the violin. If, after many lessons, your “music” is jarring to your own ears and you don’t enjoy the experience, perhaps consider giving up what initially seemed like a good idea. You can lead an amazing life without ever picking up a violin again. Yet, there are other scenarios in which giving up your interest in an activity wouldn’t be a good outcome. Perhaps the violin keeps calling to you. You can’t imagine what’s enticing you to keep playing (your inner masochist, perhaps?) but you know you’d hate to give it up. Even though you’re not good at it, even though it’s frustrating, you’re still drawn to it. You continue anyway, hoping that one day you’ll “get it,” enabling you to move to a higher level. Or quite the opposite might occur. You might decide to give up not only playing the violin but playing any musical instrument, telling yourself you’re just not musically inclined. Disheartened, you come to believe you can’t keep a tune, so you avoid singing — even with a group. Passing harsh judgment on your voice, you decide to shy away from public speaking. And as you have no desire to make a fool of yourself, you nix all creative endeavors — even t...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Habits Perfectionism Personal Self-Help Habit Change Learning Memory preparation Source Type: blogs