{"id":102043,"date":"2023-05-13T17:02:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-13T21:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=102043"},"modified":"2023-05-15T13:26:51","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T17:26:51","slug":"how-to-practice-effectively","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-practice-effectively\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Practice Effectively: 3 Ways to Make the Most of Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you keep a practice journal? Is your practice too easy or repetitive, or does it stretch you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Decoding Greatness<\/em>, Ron Friedman shares his advice for doing great work\u2014whether that means getting a show at an art gallery, winning a marathon, or nailing a big product pitch. One strategy for improving your performance is effective practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn how to practice<\/a> effectively by implementing Friedman’s three recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Practice Effectively<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to get better at something, it makes sense that you\u2019d need to practice. But Friedman argues that it\u2019s easy to practice incorrectly or inefficiently. So, to help you avoid wasting time and effort, he offers three pieces of advice on how to practice effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1: Reflect on Your Practice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Friedman argues that the most important aspect of effective practice is self-reflection<\/a><\/strong>. Keep track of your goals, the practice routines and performance strategies you employ to reach those goals, and your actual performance. Regularly review each of these elements with an active, critical eye to determine which strategies or approaches worked well and which didn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In addition to helping you review your progress, self-reflection can help you focus your efforts<\/a> so that you get the most out of your practice time. In The One Thing<\/em><\/a>, Gary Keller<\/a> recommends that you ask yourself the following focusing question<\/a>: \u201cWhat\u2019s the one thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?\u201d The answer to this question, Keller suggests, will help you hone your practice by uncovering your most impactful course of action.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Friedman suggests that journaling is an especially good way to reflect on your practice<\/strong>. He specifically recommends five-year journals, which allow you to make entries for the same date for five consecutive years so that you can review where you were at specific points in the past. In the process, you have a chance to notice relevant patterns that might not be obvious on a day-to-day level\u2014for example, you might realize that when you play video games before going to work, you\u2019re more creative at your job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: If Friedman\u2019s five-year journal suggestion doesn\u2019t appeal to you, there are a number of other journaling and note-taking options that incorporate a similar process of review and reflection. For example, The Bullet Journal Method<\/em><\/a> makes ongoing reflection a core part of its system: The method requires you to transfer your tasks and notes from day to day, month to month, and year to year<\/a>\u2014in the process, you have the chance to review your accomplishments and setbacks, identify tasks that have become irrelevant, and assess whether you\u2019re on the right track.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2: Challenge Yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Friedman also argues that for practice to be effective, it needs to be challenging\u2014it should push you past your current comfortable skill level. If practice is too easy or too repetitive, you stop paying attention<\/a> to what you\u2019re doing, which halts growth and can harm your performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In addition to being necessary for growth, difficult practice goals might also make you feel better about practicing in the first place. Research suggests that people find challenging goals more motivating than easier goals<\/a>\u2014and that they paradoxically tend to feel more confident they can achieve harder goals than easier ones.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, Friedman stresses the importance of mixing up your practice so that you don\u2019t fall into routines. The problem, he says, is that if your practice regimen is the same every time, you get bored: Your brain checks out and you stop learning. To avoid this problem, find new ways to develop the same skills, or add new obstacles and challenges to keep things fresh. For example, if you\u2019re a heavy metal guitarist, you might practice by learning some classical pieces; or, you might challenge yourself to play material you know at a faster-than-normal tempo to make it harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In addition to varying your practice regimen from session to session as Friedman suggests, consider varying the structure of your practice itself. In other words, instead of spending half an hour practicing a difficult passage on the piano over and over again, switch between loosely related activities such as repeating the passage, transposing it to different keys, and improvising variations on it. This approach\u2014known as variable practice\u2014helps you learn better<\/a> because it forces you to recall the target skills and knowledge more often and in different contexts. That translates to deeper understanding<\/a> and improved long-term retention.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3: Mentally Rehearse<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In addition to physical practice, Friedman recommends that you mentally rehearse<\/a> prior to your actual performance<\/strong>. To do so, he suggests imagining your performance as specifically as you can, including the time and place, the sensory details you expect to encounter, and the nuances of the behaviors you\u2019ll need to perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Friedman argues that this kind of imagery can improve your actual performance in several ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n