Practice

Yeah, this is the note where i'm going to talk about one of my favourite topics: practice. You guys have probably been told at some point in your life that " if you practice, you'll be good," or that " practice always makes perfect." And, they're automatically correct because if you do not have the will to improve, and don't make efforts to succeed in life, you will ultimately end up screwing up big time, and falling behind everyone else. Regrets will be common, and you'll be left with the thought that you should've practiced or studied a bit more on that jump shot, that formula, that note, that piece, ect. The question which is lingering inside of my head as of this moment is: does it make a difference? I mean, we will always find, at some point in our precious lives, people who are either gifted or considered to be "naturals" or "prodigies." Those guys are born with certain qualities which allow them to do or attempt things much more easily. They can adapt more easily, and do not need to go through any sort of repetitive activities to improve themselves as they are already that good, smart or strong. Some athletes like Kobe bryant, Mats sundin, Justin Morneau, Peyton Manning and Manny pacquiao really commit to refining and improving their overall game, and so they practice and practice batting, shooting a puck, passing and punching every day of their lives. Other athletes are born with natural talent, and rely on their attributes to help them in a game or competition ( allen iverson is very quick and agile, Alexander ovechkin is extremely creative, and mike tyson relied on his brute physique and strength).

Statistically, you can see how practice can pay off. I saw it myself. A few years back, i hated practicing piano pieces and scales, and usually just played them once or twice, in a very sloppy manner. I was somehow still able to win in competitions because once I had signed up to compete, I would proceed to focus on the piece I had to play, and so I practiced that piece almost 50 times a day. A few years later, I started to flop in competitions, and I realized that I needed to remain consistent with my practice, and so I played my pieces over and over every day. It was frustrating at first, but I got used to it and my performances became much more satisfying to me. So, in all, it isn't about how much a person practices, but rather HOW that person practices, and what they can learn from their strengths and weaknesses.