Practice as a Discipline

One of the things I learned most from the most recent book I’ve finished, The Practicing Mind by Thomas Sterner, is that with any habit or new skill we want to learn we must create a discipline around it. 

One of the examples he uses throughout the book is the learning of a new instrument. With this practice, we are more compassionate with ourselves in understanding that we will not be perfect and that we will make multiple attempts along with failures while learning this instrument of choice. We are also more willing to create an intentional practice and schedule so that we are given the allotted time necessary to learn this new instrument. We make it a priority and know that if we are not making progress it is due to the fact that we are not practicing enough. Yet, we don’t apply these same principles with our thoughts and the new mental health habits we want to create. We almost feel that because it is “easy” that the practice should come easy as well. In life, sometimes the “easiest” thing isn’t always that easy and I always tell my clients that the “easiest” thing and/or way is sometimes not what we need but more something we want. We don’t grow from easy. 

So with our intentions that we wanted to set at the beginning of the year, how are you creating a discipline or practice around this new habit/skill that we defined as being important? How are you making it a priority? How is it part of your discipline?

With any discipline, we have 3 things that are a part of developing discipline:

Commitment

Motivation 

Perseverance

As we move along our practice of setting intentions we will go through each of these aspects so that we create a discipline for ourselves. 

For right now, focus on your commitment to your intention. How committed are you and what are you WILLING to do to reach the commitment?

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