Blog 31 – Deliberate Practice…
Hi again,
Welp, I have an admission. Immediately after submitting my blog about deliberate development… I totally disregarded my own advice and didn’t write blog last week; using the excuse that I was short on ideas to do so. This is a clear example of how the “all or nothing”/perfectionism mentality we’ve recently spoken about gets in the way of progress, or at least in the way of moving towards a goal. Part of the concept of deliberate development is also deliberate practice – the continued, routine effort of your craft (Yes. There is also a book all about deliberate practice. Yes. I have read it. No. I don’t recall the title.).
Many great crafters, artists, writers, creatives, businesspeople, etc. deliberately practice their craft. They show up at the same time, in the same way, to move themselves through the same process and routine. They do this because they understand that ideal outcomes don’t just happen. They don’t just wait for the perfect solution. Ideal or creative outcomes don’t happen through a stroke of genius or a flash of lightning. It happens through putting in slow, deliberate, consistent, sometimes shitty and often unsexy work. Then, at some point, their outcome may match the ideal they’ve created in their head. And if it doesn’t, then they take the process for what it is –a pathway forward– and show up again to do it over again and the next day and the next day and the next day.
I’d hope that the last blog clearly made the connection of this deliberate work and strength and conditioning. While that was more of a micro look at applying new stimulus through weights and facing some of our fears, this is more of a macro view. Show up in your routine, whether that 2x/week or 5. Deliberately practice your craft. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and you certainly don’t have to hit a PR every day.
So here I am. Trying to be deliberate. Trying to work on my process and craft. Trying to make it to 500 words (probably not going to happen, but if I continue writing parentheticals, then maybe I can just casually and slyly add in about 25 more words here and there). Showing up to move my way through a process. Understanding that this isn’t my best blog. But what I have done is written about 425 words, felt connected to my friends, and hopefully given you a short little mental break for the day. I’m happy with that.
See you soon,
D