Practice.
Great athletes are not born great - they practice
Great artist are not born great- they practice
A craftsman masters a skill- they practice
Organized people are not born organized - they practice.
To develop we all have to cultivate our skills. We need to practice for progress.
Since our birth into the world we have all needed to practice something. In fact, practicing has been vital for our survival. When we are little we need to practice crawling, walking, and talking. When we get older we practice reading, writing, how to ride a bike, play piano or a particular sport. We practice, practice, and practice when we are small. As a child, everyday seems to be filled with practice. Why do we as adults stop practicing or forget about it benefits to our survival?
I grew up as a competitive figure skater, playing soccer, basketball and later hockey. There are several life lessons being an athlete through the years has taught me.... patience, strategy, strength, preparation, teamwork and grace. It is so much more than just the game itself, it is a game about life, development, training, focus, understanding, courage and confidence. It so goes beyond the physical and is extremely mental. You can be in the best of physical condition, but when and if you allow distractions to interfere, you are setting yourself up for loss.
Sometimes you can play and be your best and still lose that day. While I love to win, don’t get me wrong. However, losing to a worthy opponent who has outplayed me when playing my best allows me to reflect at where I can and need to improve my game. Then I practice.
The life lessons being an athlete has taught me I still use today - in raising my girls, my professional life, and even to remind myself today that I can still do amazing things when I feel doubtful.
Practice is the act of rehearsing a behavior over and over, or engaging in an activity again and again, for the purpose of improving.
Practice.
Great athletes are not born great - they practice
Great artist are not born great- they practice
A craftsman masters a skill- they practice
Organized people are not born organized - they practice.
To develop we all have to cultivate our skills. We need to practice for progress.
I am striving for progress and I still have a lot to learn. However, my experience teaches me develop of skills can occur. Whether you want to learn how to bake or simplify your space these 5 below tips will help you develop.
1. PRACTICE
It’s not enough just to know what to do; you must also apply it. Practice what you have learned. The more you do it, the better. A psychologist named Dr. Anders Ericsson from Florida State University came up with the 10,000-hour rule that I remember reading all about in Malcolms Gladwells 2008 book Outliers. However, he also said that it’s not enough just to practice that sheer number of hours; you have to do it in a smart way. The smart way is to have an expert eye, a coach, look at how you perform and give you feedback on what you should practice next to improve. This is what a really fantastic executive coach would do, for example. Deliberate practice is often guided by an expert, skilled coach, or mentor, “someone with an expert eye,” according to bestselling author Daniel Goleman. These coaches and mentors are offering feedback on specific ways to improve, and “without such feedback, you don’t get to the top ranks. The feedback matters and the concentration does, too – not just the hours.”
2. FIND YOUR MOTIVATION
Why do you want to purse this "thing" "goal" "skill" in the first place? Having a strong “WHY” is essential. After all without the “why” then “why” are you practicing it in the first place. "WHY" do you want to get better at swimming? "WHY" do you want an organized home? "WHY" do you want to declutter?
3. TAKE TIME AND PUT IN EFFORT
Getting good at something takes time and effort. I will also guarantee you will also experience some type of setbacks along the way. That’s why it’s important that you find your motivation: it helps you go through the difficulties.Getting good at something takes time and effort. So when your bump in the road comes, you can dig deep and circle back to your motivation for doing it in the first place.
4. MEASURE PROGRESS
How do you know that you are making progress? What is your starting point? Developing metrics around you goal so you can track progress. Be specific.
I want to be more organized? What does that mean to you? How to you measure that? Maybe you are always late to work because you spend tons of time trying to find clean clothes to wear under the piles of items in your room. Maybe your goal then shifts to be on time to work and organizing your room is one of the plans in place to help you get to that goal. Organizing your bedroom is not the true goal-getting to work on time is!
5. TAKE RISKS
Not taking risk means no growth. To get good at something, you must take risks. Don’t aim to be perfect. Why? Because it is not possible. To develop and grow you may need to reach out to others for support ....and be vulnerable and honest with your self. To develop your public speaking ability you may need to face your fear and be an active participant in Toast Masters. To strengthen your marriage you may need to get counseling. To develop home organizational solutions you may need to connect with a professional organizer. Remember, not taking risks means no growth.
“Either you’re growing or you’re decaying; there’s no middle ground. If you’re standing still, you’re decaying.”― Alan Arkin
In closing remember, adults need to practice too.To get better at anything you must practice. If you want to get better at writing, you need to write. If you want to get better at speaking a language, you need to speak. If you want to get better at surfing, you need to surf. The same even applies decluttering, simplifying and organizing your space. Practice is necessary. Prioritize the progress.
Founder & Chief Organizer @Mindfully Minimized
Mindfully Minimized is a holistic organizational solution company committed to helping people clear the clutter from their lives. Based in Minneapolis, Mindfully Minimized was founded by owner and chief organizer Leah Morris who works alongside her clients to help them with their challenging spaces to create a beautifully organized home focused around their intention. Leah is a professional organizer, decluttering expert, speaker & coach. She is committed to helping people declutter their lives to focus on what they love. With her passion for providing solutions to problems and serving others she is able to transform spaces to be more clam, purposeful, sustainable, and joyously livable. Check out her website or you can also follow her on Instagram or on facebook.
Need support creating space in your life for what matter? Mindfully Minimized can help you with your home organizational needs. Connect with us today we would love to help.
Great post, Leah. That's why yoga is called a "practice." I think as we get older, we often forget what it's like to be a beginner.