I confess, up until recently I haven’t been someone who placed a great deal of importance on practise.
I’d put a bit of effort into something and then “wing” the rest of it, often with less than optimal results.
More recently I’ve gained a huge appreciation for practise and the reason for that is because I am understanding more about how our brains work.
Practising increases the traffic in our neural networks. The more traffic, the quicker we act and the quicker we learn.
I’ve been working with clients lately helping them to create new neural pathways, in other words, to rewire their brains.
At first, it is challenging when the neural pathway doesn’t exist. It’s like being asked to create a path in a jungle that is totally overgrown and all you have is a machete.
And bit by bit, you clear the trees and undergrowth until you forge a path and as many more people travel on the path, the path becomes much easier to use and eventually could become a highway.
So too with our brains. We need to create the neural pathways to be able to take action towards the things we want.
When we practise we are creating the path.
And, the way we practise is the way we perform.
For example, if I’m practising giving a presentation and I keep stopping and starting to change my words or because I forgot a sentence or decide to change a powerpoint slide, then that’s the way I will perform.
When you practise, practise the complete thing, not parts of it. Practise in smaller time frames and then increase the time.
As you practise the whole thing, you learn. You hear the words you say and they will get stored in your cellular memory.
This week I’m practising for a one hour presentation I’m giving next week called “The 5 Pillars To Become an Effective Leader”.
What are you practising for?
Regards Shirley
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