2021 is here, and you’re fired up and ready to go! Maybe you are thinking about how to practice effectively and make progress toward your goals.
It can be challenging to figure out how to organize your practicing so you are moving forward consistently. Here are some strategies on how to make consistent progress in your practicing this year, and achieve results!
For more effective practice, commit to yourself.
Have you ever missed a day of practice because you “just didn’t get around to it”? Have you ever planned to practice at a certain time, but then something else just came up?
Or: have you ever decided you were going to practice, but then by the time you sat down at the instrument, if you just didn’t feel like it anymore or you were too tired?
This used to happen to me all the time. I used to prioritize my own practicing below the demands put on me by other people. And as a result I found that my own practicing came last, and some days I didn’t even get to it.
But then I realized that nobody was going to organize my practice time for me. It was on me to make sure I got my own work done.
I also learned that sometimes I did things for other people in order to avoid my own work – it’s easier to get involved in someone else’s project than to face my own sometimes.
You are responsible for your own work – it is an invaluable skill to be able to keep your own word to yourself and to honor your own commitments.
Strategy: Make a commitment that this year you will keep your word to yourself. Decide what time you will practice tomorrow, and then, regardless of how you feel or what other distractions might come up, stick to it. Over time, you will learn to trust yourself and take pride in your ability to honor your commitments.
Additional reading: 4 Ways to Release your Self-Discipline Superpower – Asian Efficiency
Show up every day.
The most productive artists, writers, musicians, dancers, athletes, and other creative types all say the same thing: show up every day, even if you don’t feel like it.
The reason for this is simple: when inspiration strikes, you want to be there to receive it.
Let’s be honest: which sounds easier, scrolling through your Instagram feed or learning the first page of a Bach fugue? If we wait until we are in the mood, that time may never come.
Or, we may be in the mood one day and then not again for a few more days.
Motivation comes from sitting down day after day, even when you don’t feel like it, and practicing. Some days will be awesome. Some days will be terrible. You won’t always be in the mood.
But by showing up every day, you are putting yourself in a place for inspiration to strike, and you will become motivated over time as you see measurable progress.
Elizabeth Gilbert unpacks the question of genius and inspiration in her TED talk “Your Elusive Creative Genius”:
So, just show up. Be there every day, regardless of your mood.
Strategy: Make a commitment to yourself to practice daily this month.
Schedule your practice times, and stick to them.
It can be difficult to find time in your day to practice when there are so many demands on your schedule. I have spoken with many students who say they are frustrated because they plan to practice but the day gets away from them and then it’s over before they really had the chance. Or, by the time they sit down the day is nearly over and they are already tired.
You can take this uncertainty off the table by pre-scheduling your practice time.
Treating a practice session like a rehearsal with yourself will help you start to respect your own time more and will create the snowball effect of increasing your drive and motivation.
Strategy: Decide how much you will practice each day this week. Open up your calendar, and schedule the times like appointments. Set a reminder on your phone for 5 minutes before each practice session, and show up to your practice session on time.
Additional reading: Deep Habits: The Importance of Planning Every Minute of Your Work Day – Study Hacks Blog
Practice at the same time every day.
Are you a morning person or a night owl? What time of day are you most alert? If possible, schedule your practice time at the time of day (or night) when your mind is most alert.
Many of my busy students report that early mornings or late nights are the best times of day to practice consistently.
Although it can be difficult to get out of bed super early, when you get up in the morning and practice first thing, it’s money in the bank. Nobody can take that time away from you for the rest of the day. It is also easy to consistently practice early in the morning because there are no other conflicts.
By practicing at the same time every day, this takes the question of whether you will or won’t practice off the table. You develop the habit, and then it becomes automatic.
Find your time. And then be consistent.
Strategy: Think about what time you do your best practicing. This month, make every effort to practice at the same exact time every day.
Additional reading: How Long Does it REALLY Take to Form a New Habit? – The Bulletproof Musician
Have clear objectives.
When you study for an exam, you will very naturally develop a plan. You don’t just start at the first page of your textbook and read through it. You are strategic: you look at your notes, you review essays or past exams, and you don’t review things you already know. Instead, you focus extra hard on the parts that you know the least, in order to make sure you know them well for your exam.
Practicing requires the same strategy. Too often, it is easy to sit down and just play through pieces over and over, lingering on the sections that are the most pleasing or easiest. It can feel too challenging to zero in on the sections that need the most work.
But that is where the most progress happens.
When you practice, have clear objectives for yourself. Focus on the sections that need improvement, and then as a reward let yourself play the parts that you already know or that you like the most.
Map out what you hope to achieve by the end of your practice session, and even give yourself an idea of how long you will spend on each piece you are practicing. It’s ok if these things change over the course of your practice session.
Strategy: For your practice sessions this week, write down your plan at the beginning of each day, and use that plan to guide you as you practice through your repertoire.
Additional reading: The Power of Specific Goals – Musicians Way blog
Assess your practicing.
In our culture of constant activity, it’s easy to finish a practice session and then immediately move on to the next thing. However, not taking the time to reflect on what you just did is missing a key opportunity for improvement.
If you spend time practicing, you have achieved a result. The question is, is the result the one you wanted?
Strategy: After every practice session this week, take a few minutes to write down how it went. Try answering these questions to get started:
- How did you use your time?
- How alert and focused were you? What can you try next time to further improve your focus?
- Can you point to something that has improved in your pieces over the course of your session?
- How much effort vs ease were you experiencing, and what can you do to increase your level of ease?
- What went especially well and what do you want to improve the next time you practice this piece?
The new year gives us an opportunity to set new goals. Implementing these strategies will help you make rapid progress on your practicing this year.
Further Reading: 13 Ways to Get the Most out of Your Practice Time
Thank you for the great tips. I thought I already knew these, but needed to be reminded. Enjoyed the video of Elizabeth Gilbert talking. That was such an inspiring and inspirational message. Loved the idea of showing up every day.
Thanks for your comment – I’m glad you found the post helpful. I love that TED talk and find it very inspiring. A good reminder that we need to actually show up in order to be there when those special moments happen.