The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner

Deliberate practice requires staying in the process and letting go of our attachment to the “product”. When thinking about the goal we are living in the future, when we are thinking about the process we are living in the present.Īs soon as I comprehended what I was reading, it made me realise how important this book would be also for another habit I am working on to “practice detachment”. If however we focus on the goal only, we get impatient. If we focus on the process, that is the action we are practicing, then the goal will take care of itself.

It is about focusing on the process not the goal we are trying to achieve through the process. It helped me fully understand the concept of deliberate practice – it is about the process not the product. While it can all seem a bit semantic when making definitions like this, I found it valuable. He goes on to define practice as:ĭeliberate repetition of a process with the intention of reaching a specific goal Practice “implies presence of awareness and will”. Sterner notes that practice and learning are similar but they are not the same thing. The first couple of chapters of the book set you up to be able to really understand what practice is and why it is so important. I chose to read this book as it aligned so beautifully to a habit that I am working to establish “Use deliberate daily practice” to help me achieve my goal for 2018. I really loved The Practicing Mind : Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life – Master Any Skill or Challenge by Learning to Love the Process by Thomas M.

The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner