10 fundamental things people dont understand about practice

10 fundamental things people dont understand about practice10 fundamental things people dont understand about practicePeople that boast how many days theyve gone without sleep in hopes of proving their dedication to their craft are missing the point.Practice is an art - it is not a simple plug and chug of hours in and skill level out. Andin order to actually make the time you spend practicing meaningful, you have to bring a heightened level of awareness.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreYou have to know what to look for, what to fix, and ultimately, how to enter your zone.1. Its not about just practicingGoing through the motions isnt enough.You have to be present and aware while you practice, and actively looking for all the things you totenstill need to improve upon.2. Your schedule and your practice times go togetherIf you are practicing in the morning some days, evening other days, and afternoons at random, you are not as effective as the person who practices at the same time, every day.Your schedule needs to be based around your practice hours - not the other way around.3. Consistency is the most important partRome doesnt get built in a day.You cant go 5 days without practicing and then try to pull a 12-hour marathon to make up for lost time. Practicing a little bit each day is far more effective than day-long sprints.4. The sweet spot for practice is 34hoursReason being, that first hour you are still warming up, and that last hour you are entering burn out.So in reality, a 4-hour practice session is really only 2 hours of truly quality practice - which means it is exceedingly important that you are mentally present during those middle 2 hours.5. Dont practice what youre already goodatCompetition inherently looks for weaknesses.If you are a master of one thing but a total newbie at another, then all someone has to do is target your weaknesses. Make it a point to practice what youre not good at, so that you are more well-rounded.6. Reflect after each practicesessionAsk yourself, What did I improve upon today? Did I learn something new? Did I challenge myself? What can I work on next?You want to constantly be asking yourself questions so that you know what to improve upon next.7. Its not about getting itdoneIts about getting it done right.If you are the type of person who times how long youve been practicing, youre already starting off on the wrong foot. Its not about practicing for the sake of just practicing. You have to have a vision, something you are working toward.Then, it no longer becomes about time. Its about skill.8. Study yourselfThe ability to watch and learn from yourself is also extremely undervalued.If you are an athlete, record yourself playing your game. If you are a gamer, record your screen as you play. If you are a writer, go back through your work with a pen and look for improvement areas. If you are a musicia n, record yourself and listen to yourself play.You will never be able to see your mistakes while youre in the moment of practicing. So separate the two.9. Watch otherpeopleIf you can learn how to record and learn from your own practice sessions, you will have a better eye for watching how your competition operates as well.You will be able to pick fremd what it is they are doing, and then steal their strategies.This learning then becomes an inherent part of you - your process.10. Always begrowingAlways be looking for how you can improve.Always be focusing on your weaknesses, not your strengths. Always be searching for new competition. Its a journey and on you to stay moving forward at a consistent pace.This article originally appeared on Inc Magazine.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your product ivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people