Throughout my childhood, I tried a lot of things. I still consider myself sort of a “Jack of all trades and master of none.” Often, when trying something new, I would become frustrated because I wasn’t very good at the thing I was doing. Dad would reassure me with the simple phrase: “If you want to get better, you have to practice!”
It sounds simple, I know, but knowing that it is true and actually being willing to follow through to get there are two completely different things. I took piano lessons for a while when I was in elementary school. If you have taken piano lessons, or live with someone who has taken them, you know that it requires hours each week of practicing. Each little run or song has to be played over and over and over… until you get it right every time. It’s that practice that makes the difference.
The story is often told of a great pianist who was complemented by a fan. The woman, obviously overwhelmed, commented: “Sir, you play so beautifully… I would give my life to be able to play like you do!”
The accomplished pianist replied, “Madam, I did.”
Being good at something rarely comes easy. It requires really working hard at it until you get it right every time. You don’t have to look far in the sports arena to see this put into play every day. One might think that professional players have finally “arrived” when they get the multi-million dollar contracts to play for us. But if you look closely, you’ll find them on the practice field as much as (or more than) the would-be-hopefuls who plan to take their place one day.
Of course, this little wizbit comes in handy for just about everything you do. Learning to drive, play any sport or game, using computers, being a parent… whenever you’re in need of getting better at anything, practice is the answer.
Our society is filled with get-rich-quick schemes, promises of instant gratification, easy-way-out programs, and any number of promises that you can have it NOW! But most of these are just scams to get your money. What it really boils down to is the empty promise that you really don’t have to practice to get better. And it’s just not true!
It is true that there are ways to make your practice more effective, but the idea that practice is not necessary is always counter-productive. Dad knew it, and now, I know it. If you really want to learn to be good at something, you’d better get ready to practice it. Otherwise, you’ll just be another amateur who is only mediocre.
The next time you realize that you’re not as good at something as you would like to be, just remember that if you really want to get better, you have to practice.
