I will make this short and sweet.
People carry a lot of guilt during the holidays regarding practicing. Here are some ways to avoid these negative feelings:
These tips can be applied to any long term projects you may have: exercise, dissertation writing, building a robot, whatever. Just remember, take the time you need for yourself and make a plan of action for when you are ready to jump back into playing. Also remember, your loved ones hate it when you complain about having to practice when you are clearly enjoying a different activity. Enjoy yourself and do the best you can.
People carry a lot of guilt during the holidays regarding practicing. Here are some ways to avoid these negative feelings:
- Be truthful. If you need a day to watch Say Yes to the Dress, do it. You're worth it. But while you are watching bridal sabotage, don't feel guilty. It is unfair to yourself to think about practicing while watching TV. Make a promise to yourself that you are comfortable with taking this time away from your instrument. If you are not comfortable with this and you are concerned you will never practice...
- ...Make a schedule. Write down when you plan on practicing the day before and get excited about it! Start mentally preparing for your productive time the day before it occurs. "Right now I'm watching Dawson's Creek, but at 10 AM tomorrow, I will be playing again." For those of you who still would rather do anything but play during break...
- ...Create a small goal. Play all of your harmonic minor scales full range. Work through one tough passage in a solo piece. Cleanly start one excerpt three times in a row. It doesn't matter what your small goal is. The purpose of this is have a focused approach to playing in a time that lacks focus. When you achieve your small goal, you can evaluate whether or not you want to continue playing or go back to baking cookies. Try making a list of small goals previous to the practice session so there is no time wasted with the instrument in hand.
These tips can be applied to any long term projects you may have: exercise, dissertation writing, building a robot, whatever. Just remember, take the time you need for yourself and make a plan of action for when you are ready to jump back into playing. Also remember, your loved ones hate it when you complain about having to practice when you are clearly enjoying a different activity. Enjoy yourself and do the best you can.
Happy holidays and happy practicing!