How to Practice
Have a goal in mind., Focus on weak areas, not skills you already have mastered., Practice deliberately., Break down complex actions into smaller parts., Learn from your mistakes., Practice how you play.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Have a goal in mind.
Think about what you want to get out of practicing
-- do you want to be the next great trumpet player or do you simply want a better serve for your next tennis match? Knowing your goals helps you home in on what you need to practice the most.
Be specific with your goals.
Sports:
Do you want to make a new team? Set a personal record? Hit more free-throws? Music:
Do you want to increase your vocal range? Get a recording contract? Play all of the notes in "Flight of the Bumblebees?" Intellectual:
Do you want to get straight A's next semester? Write your first novel? Get into medical school? -
Step 2: Focus on weak areas
While it feels good to practice things you are good at, the point of training is to improve on skills you don't have.
Spend your time working on things you are bad at or you will never get any better at your chosen activity.Sports:
Work on your opposite foot, learn a new move or technique, or try new position.
Music:
Develop scales and chords you don't know well, play at a different tempo then usual, or learn a song in a genre you don't normally play.
Intellectual:
Take a class in a different subject then normal, write essays on topics that require research, and push beyond the minimum for projects and assignments. , While you can certainly practice guitar scales while watching TV, if you are not paying close attention to yourself you will pick up bad habits and learn slowly.
You want to practice deliberately, not mindlessly, to make the most of your time.
After you complete a task, think about how it went:
Where did you make a mistake? What worked well? How can you improve next time? Sports:
Don't focus on the final score in practice, focus on your technique.
Are you getting stronger? Did you connect more passes than normal? Were you in the proper position to help your team? Music:
Focus on playing everything perfectly, without bum or missed notes.
Even if you have to slow down, focus on getting everything right and note where you make mistakes Intellectual:
Always check your work, and find out where you made a mistake if you get the wrong answer. , If you are trying to practice fixing a bicycles, for example, don't practice on the whole thing at once.
Practicing changing tires one day, making sure you have the skill down, then work on fixing the brakes.
This is the time for "drills:" specific, small actions that you can repeat over and over again like playing scales, shooting free-throws or changing flats.Sports:
If you are struggling to make a lay-up in basketball, stop and practice each step separately: dribbling at speed, jumping towards the hoop without stopping, and placing the basketball.
Music:
Don't try to tackle difficult songs all at once.
Stop and practice 2-3 seconds at a time.
Once you get those few seconds down, move on to the next few seconds.
Intellectual:
Don't approach a test trying to learn everything at once.
Do easy practice problems first, then add more complex ideas, like starting with binomials before moving on to polynomials. , Do not worry about making mistakes
-- this is the time for them.
Exploring, experimenting, and noting the things that went wrong will expand you knowledge of your field and leads to new discoveries.
When you make a mistake simply take note of it and think about how you can fix it next time.
If you make the same mistake repeatedly, slow down and try to diagnose the problem.
Work on fixing the mistake until you solve it to avoid learning bad habits.Sports:
Watching filmed copies of the game and talking to coaches will help you quickly diagnose problems and find ways to fix them.
Music:
When possible, record yourself playing.
As you play it back, listen in for mistakes that you might have missed before.
Intellectual:
Whenever you do not understand why got a problem wrong or got a bad grade, ask someone to explain it to you so you don't make the same mistake twice. , To have the best performance when it matters, whether at a show, in the office, or on the field, you need to develop good habits when you practice.
This means paying attention to the little things now so that you don't have to focus on them when you need to perform.
Think about your posture, surroundings, and equipment when you practice.Sports:
Wear the proper equipment (shoes, clothes, pads, etc.) when you practice so you are used to them when you get in a game.
Music:
Avoid things like slouching or laying down when you practice
-- if you wouldn't do it on stage, don't do it at home.
Intellectual:
Playing music or watching TV while you study, write, or do research distracts you from learning effectively. -
Step 3: not skills you already have mastered.
-
Step 4: Practice deliberately.
-
Step 5: Break down complex actions into smaller parts.
-
Step 6: Learn from your mistakes.
-
Step 7: Practice how you play.
Detailed Guide
Think about what you want to get out of practicing
-- do you want to be the next great trumpet player or do you simply want a better serve for your next tennis match? Knowing your goals helps you home in on what you need to practice the most.
Be specific with your goals.
Sports:
Do you want to make a new team? Set a personal record? Hit more free-throws? Music:
Do you want to increase your vocal range? Get a recording contract? Play all of the notes in "Flight of the Bumblebees?" Intellectual:
Do you want to get straight A's next semester? Write your first novel? Get into medical school?
While it feels good to practice things you are good at, the point of training is to improve on skills you don't have.
Spend your time working on things you are bad at or you will never get any better at your chosen activity.Sports:
Work on your opposite foot, learn a new move or technique, or try new position.
Music:
Develop scales and chords you don't know well, play at a different tempo then usual, or learn a song in a genre you don't normally play.
Intellectual:
Take a class in a different subject then normal, write essays on topics that require research, and push beyond the minimum for projects and assignments. , While you can certainly practice guitar scales while watching TV, if you are not paying close attention to yourself you will pick up bad habits and learn slowly.
You want to practice deliberately, not mindlessly, to make the most of your time.
After you complete a task, think about how it went:
Where did you make a mistake? What worked well? How can you improve next time? Sports:
Don't focus on the final score in practice, focus on your technique.
Are you getting stronger? Did you connect more passes than normal? Were you in the proper position to help your team? Music:
Focus on playing everything perfectly, without bum or missed notes.
Even if you have to slow down, focus on getting everything right and note where you make mistakes Intellectual:
Always check your work, and find out where you made a mistake if you get the wrong answer. , If you are trying to practice fixing a bicycles, for example, don't practice on the whole thing at once.
Practicing changing tires one day, making sure you have the skill down, then work on fixing the brakes.
This is the time for "drills:" specific, small actions that you can repeat over and over again like playing scales, shooting free-throws or changing flats.Sports:
If you are struggling to make a lay-up in basketball, stop and practice each step separately: dribbling at speed, jumping towards the hoop without stopping, and placing the basketball.
Music:
Don't try to tackle difficult songs all at once.
Stop and practice 2-3 seconds at a time.
Once you get those few seconds down, move on to the next few seconds.
Intellectual:
Don't approach a test trying to learn everything at once.
Do easy practice problems first, then add more complex ideas, like starting with binomials before moving on to polynomials. , Do not worry about making mistakes
-- this is the time for them.
Exploring, experimenting, and noting the things that went wrong will expand you knowledge of your field and leads to new discoveries.
When you make a mistake simply take note of it and think about how you can fix it next time.
If you make the same mistake repeatedly, slow down and try to diagnose the problem.
Work on fixing the mistake until you solve it to avoid learning bad habits.Sports:
Watching filmed copies of the game and talking to coaches will help you quickly diagnose problems and find ways to fix them.
Music:
When possible, record yourself playing.
As you play it back, listen in for mistakes that you might have missed before.
Intellectual:
Whenever you do not understand why got a problem wrong or got a bad grade, ask someone to explain it to you so you don't make the same mistake twice. , To have the best performance when it matters, whether at a show, in the office, or on the field, you need to develop good habits when you practice.
This means paying attention to the little things now so that you don't have to focus on them when you need to perform.
Think about your posture, surroundings, and equipment when you practice.Sports:
Wear the proper equipment (shoes, clothes, pads, etc.) when you practice so you are used to them when you get in a game.
Music:
Avoid things like slouching or laying down when you practice
-- if you wouldn't do it on stage, don't do it at home.
Intellectual:
Playing music or watching TV while you study, write, or do research distracts you from learning effectively.
About the Author
Deborah Simmons
Enthusiastic about teaching home improvement techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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