The Practicing Mind

Introduction

• We have to learn to welcome and enjoy the art of practice in order to overcome the challenges in our lives

• We have to find joy in doing rather than in achieving

  • Most of our time spent is on the action and not the result

  • Enjoying the act of doing is the most important skill to have

• Author's background is in music

  • Played many interests

    • Guitar

    • Piano

    • Saxophone

  • Applied these concepts initially towards learning instruments

  • Realized that these concepts apply to all areas of his life

    • Ex: Even raising a child is highly related to the act of practicing

• Focus on presence while learning, practicing and doing

Chapter 1: The Learning Begins

• Life is one continuous practice session

• The foundations of effective practice are:

  • Understanding the fundamentals

    • To improve this, slow things down more in the beginning

      • Ex: Slow down the tempo of drum playing or typing

  • Being aware of what you are doing

  • Being dedicated to the practice

    • Discipline/self control

• Our culture dictates that we always need to be multi-tasking

  • This is very bad for our ability to learn and practice effectively

  • We need to be aware of our thoughts

    • Presence and mindfulness is crucial for learning and effective practice

• Initially this book was designed to learn how to play instruments

  • But the principles helped him write the book, start a business and be successful in other ways so he expanded the book into more than just music

• Slow down when learning fundamentals

• Record yourself to help with self awareness as appropriate

Chapter 2: Process, Not Product

• Authors approach to learning golf

  • Spent an hour a day reviewing the lessons taught

  • Used a cut golf club to practice indoors

  • Focused on immersing himself in the practice

• To truly learn, we must focus on the process of practice and immerse ourselves in each moment of it

• Two common mistakes when learning how to do something

  • 1) They don’t take the time to develop the mechanics/fundamentals of what they want to learn

  • 2) They focus on the goal at all times

    • The goal should be to have effective practice session

• Shifting your goal from the product to the process

  • If the goal is to perform the practice session with as much focus as possible, then you could feel good after each session if you do so well

  • We can’t focus on the process when we have the end goal in mind

• Practice vs. learning

  • Learning can be done passively

    • Reading or seeing something

    • Doesn’t necessarily require deep awareness

  • Practice must be active

    • Requires doing something repeatedly, training

    • Requires deep awareness and focus

• Society grooms people to be results oriented

  • School focuses on the grade you get

    • They get funding based on grades

  • Makes us anxious about the result

• The author was a B and sometimes A student except for math which he hated

  • He explains his struggles with math

• Authors experience going to school as an adult with people right out of high school

  • A bunch of classmates cheated and got rewarded with a good grade without learning anything

• Our education system wipes the process away and replaces it with a single number

• The Japanese society is more process oriented than western society

  • Musical instruments

  • Technology

  • Automotive

• The goal should be treated as a rudder only

  • We should be most concerned with putting concerted effort in moving in the right direction at every moment

• The challenge with patience and discipline is that developing each of them requires both of them

• We have a get-it-now culture which harms are happiness

  • Using credit cards to get things before we have money for it

    • The process of working for something brings more joy than actually buying the thing

  • We don’t really get much happiness at all from things, rather we get it from our actions; the process

Chapter 3: It’s How You Look At It

• We have an unrealistic idea of achieving perfection at everything we do

  • There is a method to use to help us get over this:

    • “And then?”

• Advertising preys on the concepts that all is not right until you get something or go somewhere

• At what stage of the life of a flower is it perfect?

  • At every stage, it is perfect at what it’s supposed to do

  • We are the same way

    • As beginners, we are perfect as beginners

    • And so on

  • We should not have anxiety about the distance between that which we are not and that which we are

• In order to be mindful, we cannot be assessing how we are doing at any moment

  • Our focus must be on the act itself and not the self assessment during the act

  • We need to decide what we want to do (set goal) before we do it and then not think about the goal throughout the entire action

  • Goals are set in order to determine what we should spend our time on in life

• Martial arts

  • The idea of martial arts has been corrupted by society and marketing

  • True martial arts is a way to train presence through the threat of bodily injury yet in a safe environment

    • Introducing a threat helps one train presence

• Beginners mind

  • The perspective of a beginner which allows us to think about all the details without any automatic or habitual reaction

  • Over time, we lose beginners mind and our capacity to improve is crippled because we become unaware of what we are even doing

  • Example: Driving

• One place we natural display a lot of presence is during video games

  • Though there is an end goal, the game itself is fun and therefore the end result is just superficial as the purpose is the fun playing it

  • Consider what about video game is different than anything else

    • Is it simply just the amount of stimulation that exists in a video game?

    • If so, then how do we become more stimulated by routine activities?

  • Consider whether video games should be used for training children

• The only difference between work and play is that we prejudge things that are work as not fun and things that are play as fun

  • We need to stop prejudging activities as either fun or not fun and begin to see everything as a recreation

  • The reality is that nothing is really work or play

    • Some people see it one way or the other

    • If we feel like something is work we should stop and think why we feel like that activity is work and consider whether something can be done to alter your perception (

• When we are making a lot of decisions, whether small or big, it tends to make us associate the action with the result of the action and therefore distances ourselves from presence

• Try this technique:

  • Take anything you normally see as tedious or difficult work and spend the first half hour performing the activity mindfully and then continue resuming your normal attitude

    • Don’t try to enjoy it, simply be aware of what you’re doing

      • If you try to enjoy it, it can negatively impact your attitude by frustrating you

• Try the “and then?” perspective

• Consider learning martial arts as a way of training physical presence

• Consider learning how to dance as a way of training physical presence

• Try mindfulness technique on an activity for 30 minute intervals

Chapter 4: Creating The Habits That We Desire

• Awareness

  • We need to be aware of what we are thinking, what we are doing and what we are trying to accomplish in order to alter our experiences in life

• Habits

  • Controls how we react to things naturally

  • Habits are formed by the things we do repeatedly over time

  • Practice is the way to deliberately form a habit

  • Habits of mind are formed all the time

    • When we repeat a certain mental thought, we develop a habit unknowingly

    • When we deliberately take control of our thought processes, we can create positive habits of thought

• Sports science

  • Habits are studied all the time for sports because the most effective performance happens without thinking about; habitually with little no response time

  • Sports experience has shown that a habit can be successfully developed with repetition of that activity 60 times a day for 21 days

    • This amount is probably dependent on the activity and the particular person and how much effort is spent on the activity as well

• On building habits and struggling

  • When you are aware of the habit you are trying to perform, you don’t have to be frustrated with lack of results since the habit with form naturally with the repetition

    • The better perspective is to see the mere act of repeating the activity as a success, whether it is comfortable/easy or not

• How to eliminate a bad habit or replace it with a good one

  • Before we start building habits, we need to first decide how we should react before the situation arises when we are in a mindful state

  • As practice, you could simulate the situation in your mind to practice the reaction

    • When the actual situation happens, it is quite difficult to stay to your intentions because the habit overtakes our control

    • In order to overcome this, you should pick a trigger that alerts you to the habit

  • Use the trigger to remind you to act the way you intend

  • Over time the reaction to the trigger will become autonomous and the habit will be formed

• Try setting habit goals that include a particular number of repetitions for a particular duration of time, e.g. 60 times a day for 21 days

• Try using mental simulation and triggers to form habits

Chapter 5: Perception Change Creates Patience

• There aren’t many principles that you need to understand to live joyfully and productively in life

  • Life has a way of making those few principles slip away from us all the time

    • This is why it is good to refresh your awareness and learn about the principles from different angles which helps to habitualize the principles

      • Rereading books or reading new books about the same thing is good for this reason

      • The Power of Now attacks a central questions from many angles in a single book

    • The hard part is continuously living the principles

• Patience

  • Another angle of looking at everything in this book

  • A virtue that comes before all other virtues

  • Patience is about being okay with the way things currently are and the rate at which things are currently changing

    • Being patient allows one to be happy at any time

• Developing patience

  • Presence helps us develop patience

  • Realize that there is no true perfection

    • Perfection is defined based on where we are right now

    • As we change, our idea of perfection changes

    • Perfection as we currently see it is an illusion of your current perspective

• Real joy comes from the ability to experience and appreciate your improvement moment by moment

  • There is no way to be satisfied by reaching a destination

    • The author discovered this in regards to self improvement in instrument playing

    • He had to learn to enjoy the act of practicing and improving rather than attaining a certain level of ability or perfection

• Stop looking at your progress and for progress and you’ll develop immensely more patience and dedication in your efforts, especially in endeavors that are large

  • When you achieve this level of patience with yourself and endeavors:

    • Your ability to persevere significantly increases

    • Your self confidence improves drastically

Chapter 6: The Four “S” Words

• The four “s” words are:

  • Simple

    • Take a complex activity and break it down to it’s basic components

    • Helps you focus on what’s next

  • Short

    • Keep the duration of doing something challenging short

      • Especially if you are having trouble starting or if it’s difficult to spend a lot of time doing it

  • Small

    • Break down the large goal into smaller goals that are manageable

  • Slow

    • Take your time doing the activity so you can fully understand the details of what you are doing

    • Taking your time also makes time less relevant or completely irrelevant during the activity

      • This is flow

    • It is a common mistake to try to do things quicker to finish quicker

      • This causes more mishaps and missing things including integral learning

      • Trying to do things fast generally has the result of taking longer to do things because you do it less consistently

        • So take your time

• Example

  • Cleaning the garage

    • Break it down into sections

    • Do it for specific short intervals

    • Take your time

• Working slow and deliberately gets things done faster

  • The important part here is being deliberate

    • Purposefully slow rather than accidentally slow

    • Don’t confuse this with doing something in a distracted state of mind

  • We operate better when we are relaxed and working consistently

  • Avoid rushing because it introduces a lot of wasted effort

    • Mentally and physically

  • Try this principle on anything or everything in life

• Stop thinking about the time you are spending doing on something

  • The only reason you should care about the time is if it is absolutely crucial to finish in a specific time period

    • It very rarely is

  • Continue to practice this during meditation in particular

    • Set it and forget it...

• All the four “s” words are interrelated

  • In order to do something slowly, it helps to break it down to smaller bits

• We can even do this while brushing our teeth

• Apply the four “s” words to anything particularly challenging in life

• Stop thinking about time or wasting time during activities...set it and forget it

Chapter 7: Equanimity and DOC

• Equanimity

  • Even-temperedness and calmness

  • A virtue everyone should develop

• People that display supreme equanimity don’t seem to be affected by anything, whether good or bad

  • This is because equanimity is characterized by a non-judgmental perspective

• Judgments are always based on some preconceived ideal or idea of perfection

  • They are grounded in a relative truth

  • But ultimately they are illusions

• Judgments are almost always tied to an emotion which skews are ability to perform effectively

• The quiet observer vs. the ego

  • Similar concept to what is described in The Power of Now

  • In order to become non-judgmental we have to align ourselves with the observer and not the ego, the one judging and feeling

    • When you align yourself with the true self you can allow your ego to run rampant and yet not affect your behavior

    • The ego will always exist but need not control you

  • The best way to develop your alignment with the quiet observer is through meditation

    • It’s a way to train your ability to exist as the quiet observer in despite of the ego

• DOC

  • Do, observe, correct

  • A supplement to meditation that helps one align oneself with the quiet observer and live non-judgmentally

  • How DOC works

    • Focus on what you are doing

      • Do not evaluate/judge yourself during the action

    • Observe the outcome and evaluate the result

      • Don’t confuse evaluating with judging

      • Evaluating avoids the idea of good and bad and focuses on the particular quality of the details

    • Make adjustments to the action

  • You can apply DOC to things other than meditation

    • Tennis

    • Basketball

    • Ping Pong

    • Typing

• Han Solo’s reaction to challenge: “Here’s where the fun begins”

  • This is the attitude we should have in regards to dealing with challenges with our own mind

• Use DOC to take control of your emotional reactions to difficult situations or events in life

• If we go too far to control our actions too quickly we may burn out

  • We need to be aware of when we have gone too far and need some time to relax

  • Be patient with yourself and you will build more discipline over time

• Practice DOC in all skill based activities in my life

Chapter 8: Teach and Learn From Children

• Wisdom is not a byproduct of age...teach and learn from all those around you

• What are the fundamental differences between children and adults?

  • It’s not what they want but rather their perception of life

    • Time goes slower as a child and time becomes more precious as an adult

      • It’s difficult to teach a child because they don’t see the point in doing something for the future

      • Children have more presence than adults as a result

        • So we can learn how to live with more presence by watching children

• What are effective ways to teach a child?

  • Children learn best from experience but have trouble thinking about the result of their current actions on the future

    • So instead, teach a child to see the result of their past actions on their present situation

      • You can do this having them discuss their thoughts and feelings and then taking notes so they can think about them later

  • Upon them wanting/needing something, explain that you will give it to them after they do something good in the future

    • Teach the delayed gratification

    • Teach them that their emotions are fleeting

      • Pogo-stick story: His child didn’t want the pogo-stick after 2 weeks

  • Be a positive role model

    • If you display positive behavior in the home, especially early on, the child will likely emulate that behavior

• Learning from children

  • It is egotistical to believe you cannot learn from someone younger than you, even a child

    • A child’s brain is different than yours

    • Society is different today from when you were a child so they may have more insights that you didn’t have

    • And there are even children that are more mature than adults

• As we teach children, we should be taking the same advice that we give them

  • We should learn as we teach

Chapter 9: Your Skills Are Growing

• Nothing in this book is new knowledge

  • Everything that was taught is something that must be learned by every new generation and is centuries old

• All things are fleeting but our spirit is permanent

  • We need to focus on living a deep and meaningful life