Wait. What if Allen Iverson Was Right This Whole Time?
We talkin’ ‘bout practice.
“Practice? Practice? We talkin’ about practice?”
Don’t look now but we all practice. All the time. Sometimes we’re practicing something and we don’t even know it. But most of the times when we practice, we do it with purpose. We have an end goal in mind and we feel practicing can get us there. Most of the times, we’re right. Yay us.
There is, though, that old saying that goes, “practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.”
Well…ok, I guess…but before perfect practice, you have just plain ol’ shitty, I-suck-at-this practice, right? I mean, let’s be real.
I’m a fan of practicing. No matter what it is you’re trying to do better, practicing builds confidence, skill, muscle memory, comfort, and knowledge. It’s also a true test for how much you want something…how good do you really want to be at that thing? It can be truly eye-opening if you want it to be.
Good vs. Bad Practice
If you’re practicing a sport, or an instrument, or really…most anything…the best way to practice is to keep doing that thing. Over and over and over, and then over again. Be awful at it. Then maybe get a little better. Then repeat all of that again. That’s what we’ll call “good” practice.
But “bad” practice is when you think you’re practicing to be better at something, but really, you’re just getting really, really, really good at practicing. You’re like the best practicer ever.
Not. The. Point.
Bad practice usually rears its head and makes itself seen when that person is in a group dynamic. When the soccer player can bounce the ball on their knee and do cool tricks, but can’t play the actual game. When the drummer can throw down a thunderous quadruplet but can’t find the one, overplays, or can’t keep steady time.
Sooo…what are you actually trying to get good at?
Remember yesterday when you used long division? Me neither.
School is kind of practice, though. It’s supposed to give you confidence, knowledge, and skills. Perhaps the main thing school is for is to push your boundaries and show you that you can be comfortable now knowing something because now you know that you can learn it if you truly want to.
It’s a blueprint for how to live your life after school if all over.
But we all know that kid who was a great student but had zero social skills. That kid missed the point big time. He was so good at being a student, that after school was over, all he was was a really good student.
You guys. Don’t be that kid.
Yes, Allen. We talkin’ ‘bout practice.
Maybe he was referring to “bad” practice. Maybe not. Either way, after all these years and after hours and hours of practicing whatever I need to get better at (HINT: everything), I’m finally starting to see that there are good and bad ways of doing it.
I was told long ago to not settle for being a good drummer, but instead strive to be a good musician. That’s why I learned by just starting a band when I was 15 years old.
I was also told, a little more recently, to not raise kids but to raise decent human beings, that — for now — just happen to be kids. That one was a mind-blower, but I get it. I totally get it.
It’s pretty easy to do something, but it’s harder to be good at that something. If you do it right, you’ll realize that the cycle between getting good → practicing → getting better → practicing keeps going.
I’ll be the first to admit that I need all the practice I can get, but that’s why we’re here, that’s what I’m doing, and that’s what you just finished reading.
Good hustle out there.
#bewhatyoumake
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