That "P" Word We Love & Hate PRACTICE

"You need more practice!" is one of those infuriating phrases that points out that you aren't up to snuff and there's still work to be done. However, practicing is one of those things you can't escape - all you ever do is ingrain habits with practice. This blog will examine the idea of practice, and how to make the pain of practice worth while. Dear reader, you will know my shame as I struggle with this basic and irritating truth.

[beyondtherealmsofpossibility]

[thatpword]

AKA Doing as little as possible to make progress on that one thing

[tpolisher]

[thatpword]

Recent college graduate and unemployed. Netflix makes me wonderfully unproductive.

[luridlife]

Upcoming Topic: Procrastination

Me this morning  trying to avoid homework

…and  this is what i look like right now

[thatpword]

Procrastination is such a cruel mistress. ;.; Why do I keep going back?

[thatpword]

This is the story of man in constant pursuit of perfection, doing what he loves everyday. A great documentary that is more than cool shots of food - we get to see Jiro's motivations, dreams, processes, and the complex interpersonal dynamics that accompany the pursuit of perfection.

"Once you decide on your occupation... you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success... and is the key to being regarded honorably." - Jiro Ono

You will CRAVE sushi after watching this.

[thatpword]

It's very off-putting to want to do something cool, but have to drudge through learning the basics. Of course, it's the people who have problems with the basics that never get very far in doing those cool things.

Web source: http://www.gocomics.com/foxtrot/1999/09/12

[dramaakinggg]

This is good advice psychology is a great thing.

[thatpword]

People will avoid situations that involve pain if they believe there isn't a "pleasure profit." Training your mind to see the good in every situation will reshape how you interact with risk, vulnerability, and acceptance of happiness.

Also, sometimes what you come up with can be pretty hilarious!

[thatpword]

No argument here: technology has drastically affected how we interact with the world, each other, and ourselves - this requires flexibility in our practices, customs, and social scripts. This technology promises to fulfill us where we feel most vulnerable (explained at 3:00 in the vid). The irony that I'm posting this under the guise of anonymity, and that this video is gaining notoriety via social media, is not lost on me.

Video creator: Shimi Cohen.

Still trying to digest the last couple sentences:

"We slip into thinking that always being connected is going to make us feel less alone. But we are at risk, because the opposite is true: if we are not able to be alone, we are only going to know how to be lonely."

[thatpword]

30 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Die

While determining why we do and think the things we do, here are some important questions we must ask ourselves. Since you are the only one who will know the answers to these questions, honesty is the best policy. (Click the title for the link.) #27 and #28 seem quite pertinent to this blog!

This also begs the question of how our own deaths play a part in our expectations of life. Hm.

[thatpword]

This is definitely true. I have met mature young people and immature old people. Those who use age as a reason to discredit someone (whether old or young) are infuriating.

Consider how this relates to what you are implicitly or explicitly practicing. 

Photo credit: http://www.quotesvalley.com/maturity-is-not-measured-by-age/

[thatpword]

Hope and Practice

I've been looking into the reasons why we practice, and stumbled across a book called Hope and Despair: How Perceptions of the Future Shape Human Behavior by Anthony Reading. The definition of hope Reading used in the book goes as follows:

Hope is a pleasurable subjective state that arises when individuals expect that a desired future goal is realistically achievable, and that expectation energizes them to initiate activities they believe will help them attain it.

Practice is different from the activities initiated by hope, but it is closely linked. Activities initiated by hope are active actions, filled with purpose and direction. Practice is the repetition of those actions, whereas hope is not bound to the necessity of repetition. This has led me to wonder if there is such a thing as passive practice. 

The fundamental goal behind practice is to ingrain behavior so that we may reach a desired state. Every action we perform and every thought we indulge becomes more ingrained the more we repeat the action or thought. This is why we put a lot of emphasis on training and discipline, making practice a mechanical necessity. However, we do and think things without much care as to how they affect us. (I'm pretty sure a lot of these become apparent when people have kids, because suddenly your actions become a template for another person's behavior.) For example, when I get stressed I go and get a snack. Where does that kind of behavior come from? What does it mean for me in the long term? Am I better or worse off for coping with stress by eating? In that moment, I don't really care because I would like to feel normal and so I don't give much thought to how stuffing my face could be bad. I do it anyway. Therefore, it become apparent that there is such a thing as passive practice. I'm reinforcing a coping mechanism.

This makes me wonder what I practice when I'm not paying attention. What am I secretly hoping for? What am I actively hoping for? This next week I'll try to keep an account of my actions and thoughts to see where I'm at. Since I'm recovering from being depressed and anxious for the last seven months, I'm not quite looking forward to what I'll find; but I want to remake myself into the best person I can be. This self-evaluation is a necessary step towards reaching that goal. It is a necessary thing I must practice.

Note: I have only just begun reading the book above. I hope that as I continue reading I will find more insight and be able to share that with you, dear reader.

Photo credit: http://thesweetestfragrance.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/sunrise-beach1.gif

[thatpword]

How my expectations usually look. Maybe I overwhelm my expectations to get myself motivated, but I wonder how effective it actually is.

Photo credit: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/414893.article, artist James Fryer.