Practice Like a Personal Trainer 2

Have you ever wondered why it is that personal trainers usually have great physiques? Probably you haven’t, because the answer seems obvious: trainers have great physiques because they work out a lot.

But I think there’s a deeper answer: personal trainers are in great shape because they have to be. In other words, most everything in their environment is geared towards keeping them fit and trim.

Personal trainers lose clients and money if they aren’t fit, and they lose face in front of other trainers and gym-goers. On top of that, they spend most of their day in the gym – so they get constant environmental cues to work out.

What does all of this have to do with practicing the piano? Well, quite a bit I think. As piano practicers, we can mimic these factors to get better results. Following the lead of the fitness industry, there are four key elements to aid us in our piano practice: habit, environment, measurement, and accountability.

• Turn practice into a daily habit.

Making your practice a matter of habit is a powerful tool. There are a few keys to doing this right. You want to select a routine time of day that you practice (for instance, upon awakening, or directly after work.) Keep this time sacred no matter what, because in our busy lives there will always be something “more important” than playing the piano.

Besides finding a set time of day, a great deal of research supports the idea that starting “small” is the best way to begin a habit. Psychological B.J. Fogg even calls this his “tiny-habits” technique.

• Structure your environment to facilitate practice.

Where is your piano? In the living room or in a back corner? I’ve seen dramatic changes in practice habits when students move their piano to a prominent room.

If this is inconvenient, do the next best thing: situate practice reminders throughout your house! Many people don’t willfully neglect practice, they just forget.

By the way, make sure your practice space is a place you enjoy being in. Practice can be a solitary and even lonely experience, but there’s no reason it shouldn’t be pleasant.

• Measure your success and reward yourself.

Stickers for kids can mean chocolate, coffee, or wine for adults.

The more you can measure your work and progress, the more likely you are the feel motivated. I measure my practice by keeping track of how much focused work I do at the piano every week. If I have twenty minutes of good practice, I just make a note of it.

And take rewarding your hard work seriously! As adults we tend to she away from giving ourselves treats, but they work and they’re important for prolonged success.

• Use accountability.

I saved this point for last because I think it may be the most powerful motivational tool I know of, but also the most committal.

Children have their parents to monitor practice, and a teacher to keep them in check. Professionals have public performances to keep them on their toes – nothing will hold you accountable like playing in front of an audience!

In other words, If you’re having real trouble getting to the piano each day, consider upping the cost of not practicing.

Short of performing in public, holding yourself accountable is best done using another person. For some people, a scary teacher will do the trick. For others, this isn’t enough. If you fall into the latter category, consider putting money on the line. Websites like stickk.com will even let you choose a referee for this purpose. (Warning: start with a small and manageable goal. The point isn’t to make your life miserable!)

Some people would argue that accountability saps the fun out of things, but I’ve found when a very reasonable goal is set this just isn’t the case. The fact is that the pleasure of longer term pursuits often doesn’t line up with what feels good in the moment. There’s nothing wrong with stacking the motivational deck to your benefit.

That’s all for now readers – I’m off to practice!