“Practice will help you to master the skill”, this is a very common statement that we hear in our lives. And if you are a parent or a teacher you may be someone who even speaks it more often. The importance of practicing has been always emphasized to our growth and development to a level in the field we want to learn.
Every learning journey starts with lot of preparation and enthusiasm. We are always pumped up to learn as much and the initial steps of growth give us the boost. Steadily as we reach the stage of may be intermediate from naive, we hit something like learning or development plateau. Once this stage is reached we make no significant growth and hence apparently fall off the practice track. This applies to many ventures we take up, it can be some personal grooming or hobbies or may be professional learnings. Our patience usually writes us off the practice journey. This is the only difference that we can find between the average and master achievers in the fields.
Psychologists claim that in any achievement cycle our effort makes twice the impact than anything else, roughly formulating as
Talent*Effort = Skill
Skill * Effort = Development
So a skill can be developed by putting effort, the development on the course depends on the fuel of effort we keep pouring. The moment same stops we are stagnant.
Though mastering everything that interests us is not something practical and also not always desirable, however the aptitude to put in effort and practice is something we should try and develop.
Studies have found that children who have more grit and ability to practice and put effort have more chances to excel as compared to ones only surviving on their IQ.
In the learning years of child, we should as parents, guardians and teachers see how the practicing aptitude can be cultivated. The 10000 hour rule says that to master anything whatever field ranging from sports, arts or technology , one needs to put an effort of 10000 hours. That is a huge number, and you can imagine the kind of perseverance it needs. Years and years of toiling.
In the era when we have abundance of choices, we are always on hop machine. Sadly this is impacting the children of generation most. They are usually bored and fall out of activities rapidly. This pattern has significant impact on the decision making and confidence in later stages of life.
There is need to make practice, a routine and habit in children. That lays the foundation for them to have capability to shine in whatever they do in life. The aim may not be always get yourself in the first rank but to put heart and soul in all you do. Mind you, putting heart and soul is not momentary but needs hours of repetitions.
In the end quoting the well known doha from poet Vrind
करत-करत अभ्यास के, जड़मति होत सुजान।
रसरी आवत जात तें, सिल पर परत निसान।
Happy practicing.