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Have you ever found yourself going through the motions of life and suddenly realizing that you were not present? At my busiest, I have been known to pour myself a cup of coffee only to realize I already had one waiting for me. Similarly, we can listen to a podcast or a lecture and we have no idea what happened.
If you have experienced something similar, such as looking for your glasses when they're on your head or asking your partner where your phone is while you hold it in your hand, do not panic. This does not mean there is something wrong.
Thoughts and actions are often automatic, and there are times, especially when we are under stress when we have repeated action often enough that we don't even think about what we're doing. Dr. Judson Brewer calls this a habit loop.
On the other hand, when something is completely new to us and we have yet to repeat a pattern, such as is often the case with public speaking for new leaders, we often feel nervous and our minds wander forward, ruminating over all the things that we need to do right.
To find true mastery is to balance repetition with presence. With deliberate attention, we can accomplish our goals and enjoy the process. So how to we achieve this balance?
"Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it." -Michelangelo
Cognitive Benefits and Skill Acquisition
Just as repetition of physical exercises makes muscles stronger, repetition of thoughts and actions can enhance our memory retention and our ability to feel confident in executing tasks. If you've ever tried to memorize something, you have felt your neural connections strengthening as you acquire and master new information.
Hard work is often how we improve the accuracy and efficiency of any task, but deliberate practice makes all the difference. Let's explore how repetition and intentional practice can work to help you achieve your goal.
Setting Clear Goals
Define Objectives
As an exercise, identify a specific skill you want to master, such as public speaking or learning Italian. Once you have your goal, make sure it is SMART. The acronym SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. It is a technique often taught in business, but it can be coupled with mindful awareness for heightened results.
So what are SMART goals?
Specific: Instead of saying "I'd like to lose weight," you can say "I'd like to lose 5 pounds."
Measurable: Add a way you will be able to gauge success. If you would like to learn a new language, for instance, how will you know you've acquired the skills you need? Would that mean being able to hold a 10-minute conversation with a native speaker?
Achievable: To gain mastery, you have to be realistic. If you are brand new to learning a new language, setting the goal of mastering it in a week would set you up for failure. However, if you set the goal of learning ten new words by next week, that would be more achievable and lead you to a new goal in the following week.
Relevant: Your goal should be in line with your broader interests. A good way to ensure this is to ask yourself how your current goal aligns with your life goals. If you want to learn to speak more eloquently in public, why is this? If it's because you are a new teacher who will be presenting in public often, you are more inclined to find success.
Time-bound: Making a clear goal about when you would like to achieve your goal helps you to stay on track. "Sometime this year" is vague, whereas, "January 31st" is specific and clear.
Taking the time to create your SMART goal will help you to remember why repetition and hard work are worth it as you begin your journey to mastery.
Implementing Effective Practice Strategies
Overcoming Challenges
Just because we set a clear goal and have a lot of drive does not mean that every day will be easy. Let's say you want to exercise every day for a year, for instance, to feel better by January 1st, there will be days that feel harder than others. The best way to maintain consistency during difficult times is to recognize and address obstacles. You can gain support in staying resilient through setbacks by practicing mindfulness techniques, celebrating your incremental progress, and developing a growth mindset.
- Practicing mindfulness is a way to support your lifestyle change or goal by alerting you to positive and negative repetitive patterns in your life. To practice, you can try the STOP technique or practice taking a few breaths to reground yourself when you feel off-track.
- Celebrate Progress: Think about what motivates you, and come up with a plan to acknowledge small achievements or reward your efforts. Sometimes this is as simple as rewarding yourself with something you'd like to buy. In contrast, other times it could be sharing accomplishments with a good friend or accountability partner.
- Long-term Commitment: Ensure your SMART goal is clear and posted or displayed somewhere you look often. Consistency is easier when you can remember your goals daily.
- Develop a Growth Mindset: You can work on a growth mindset by embracing continuous learning and seeing setbacks as opportunities. Stay open to new techniques and ideas as you move toward your goal.
Sustain Momentum
Remember that deliberate practice is about repetition and also presence. We have to continuously self-evaluate and set new challenges to grow and master new skills. This can bring us great joy, especially if our goals play into our values, strengths, and larger life plan. To maintain enthusiasm through varied self-care practice, remember to balance goal setting with opportunities to pause and congratulate yourself for seeking new mastery and increased self-awareness.
This balance will help you to determine your next best step.
Recognize your hard work and remember why it matters. When things become stressful, find resources, such as online meditation apps or mindfulness practices to help you keep momentum.
You'll be surprised what you can accomplish.
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