We’re continuing our January series on motivation and goal setting. Today we’re talking about practice.
We’re Talkin’ About PRACTICE
I don’t watch a lot of basketball, but I’ll never forget hearing Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers talk about practice. Or rather, I heard Allen Iverson talk about NOT practicing. During his two and a half minute rant with the press, Iverson says the word “practice” 22 times.
And trust me, it’s not because he loves practice.
Now, more than two decades later, we’re still talking about practice. This time, in pop culture. The fictional futbol coach Ted Lasso turns the tables and schools his franchise player, Jamie Tart, on what practice really means. (Hint: it’s not just about you.)
You can watch a cool mashup of the two scenes here:
Whether a fictional futbol coach like Lasso says it is or a celebrated basketball player like Iverson says it isn’t, I think we can all agree that practice is important.
Most of us were not born sports prodigies. In order to get better at something, we have to do it the old-fashioned way—through grit and hard work—and yes, lots and lots of practice.
Remember the butterflies that tickled your tummy the first time somebody asked you to get on a bike or jump from the diving board into the deep end of the pool? Learning new skills can feel scary and even unsafe. But these everyday activities aren’t really terrifying and dangerous at all.
They ARE simply unpracticed.
Many, many hours of sustained practice go into making hard things look easy.
I read just this week of a woman who first started playing the piano at the age of 60. Now she’s in her 80s and has been playing beautifully for more than twenty years.
Humans have an infinite capacity for learning.
Practice is never wasted.
It’s hard to learn new things as we get older, but not for the reasons you might think. Acquiring new skills is harder because most older people tax their brain worrying about relationships, work, and money. These worries take their toll and hijack the gray matter that could be dedicated to curious pursuits. (We’ll talk about how to turn off worry in another post)
You know, I sometimes dream of going back to school and getting another degree. There’s a small part of me that thinks, “But Chantel, you’ll be in your 50s by the time you graduate.” And then I remember: “And how old will I be in four years if I don’t go back to school?”
What gets practiced gets perfected. Somewhere, there’s a person who has something to learn. And somewhere there’s a person who has something to share. And somewhere there are people who are making each other better because they are committed to practicing (and perfecting) together.
Don’t quit. Just practice.
Want more good stuff?
Tell me what you’d like to learn in the new year or what you’re practicing now. I’d love to know, and I read every message. :)