Happy Monday First name / friend!
We have 2 juxtaposing lists for you today!
- Non-time-related goals for your practice this week that will improve learning
- Ways to optimize your time in the practice room
We're learning a lot in our practice challenge, and one of those things is that students love to make practice goals around TIME. But… we want to give you some non-time-related things to focus on this week! Because, time isn't all that matters.
// Goals that aren't time-centered that will improve learning //
- Vary where you practice (studies show that even moving rooms can improve retention!)
- Practice your pieces in a different order
- Record more
- Stay more focused
- Have a more positive mindset / better self talk
- Set more specific goals
BUT, of course time with the instrument matters. Although, an arbitrary 4-hours a day isn't the vibe.
// If you are looking to optimize your time… here are some ideas //
ELIMINATE HALF-PRACTICE AT ALL COSTS
What’s half-practice? You play through an excerpt and then check your phone. You play through a piece and get distracted when you go to put your metronome on. You probably understand very well what half practice is… How to mitigate it? Be mindful about your distractions. Even 5-min segments without disruption can help you make progress. Be all in!
USE A TIMER!
That's right. Bust out a timer or your timer app and start to become a little more accountable to how much time you're spending on things.
- 25 min sessions tend to do well, and then take a short break. It’s more like a … pause!
- Try shorter bursts of time, too. We are going to get into interleaved practice in the practice techniques lesson, but these sessions could be as short as 3 minutes! What can you really do in a focused 3 minutes? It may surprise you!
- ACTION ITEM: Turn on a timer today in practice! Then, report how that made you feel. Try 25 minutes, or, try even less! Maybe, 10 minutes of woodshedding a piece for example.
DO THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FIRST
Sure, you need to warm up. But, what if you began to prioritize your practice and started with the thing that you’d consider a top priority? Often we see students practicing an etude for half the week and then frantically realizing they haven’t gotten to their solo piece. But, we're all guilty of this in some way. We want to do it ALL - and we hesitate to prioritize.
- ACTION ITEM: How would your practice look different if you organized your practice (post warm up) by doing the most important thing first?
Wishing you an efficient and effective week in the practice room. Don't forget to breathe, be grateful, and take care of you. ❤️
Tiffany, Ixi and Ted
