In the last post I mentioned that one of the greatest benefits of practicing a musical instrument is the life lessons the child learns. Here's to the first: consistency. (Thanks to this "Juggling Motherhood" blog post for the picture and some great thoughts).
One of our goals this semester with practice is to establish routines and habits, the first of which is actually doing the practice. . .every day!
Of the 15 possible practice days this month (we were out of town for the first week), Nathan has successfully practiced for 13 of them--all three instruments. That, in our home, is an accomplishment. They have not been perfect practices, but they have happened. Every day. [And, for what it's worth, I've been practicing every day, too!]
Why is it so hard to practice every day? For my son, it's partly just being young, and partly ADHD. Consistency is especially difficult for someone with ADHD, because their minds don't "hook in" to importance. For them, things are worth doing if they are novel, challenging, exciting, or urgent (none of which really describe daily practice!), but not important. So, the daily routine of actually getting the instrument out, repeating scales for the umpteenth time, drilling the same ol' shifts and tuning troubles--all of this is part of a difficult pattern to establish. It's hard enough for a mature, "neuro-typical" adult. It's more challenging for a child, who can't see the future benefits.
Why is consistency important? Because one of the most empowering abilities in life is to perform daily the mundane, but necessary tasks. Building those habits and routines give us tools to perform at a greater level of achievement. And the other (perhaps greater benefit) is the self-discipline to stick to something even when it's not new, exciting or creative. It's easy to start a plan, and much, much harder to see it through when it's old and boring. Conquering ourselves, and inertia, gives us an internal strength that benefits us in many other situations.
Habits can't be formed without consistency. According to many sources, 28 days is all it takes to create a habit. [I found this TED talk to be very inspiring on just that topic.] We're half-way through our first 30 days, and getting stronger. You can, too!
What habit do you know you really need to form? Exercise? Devotions? Journaling? Dishes? There's a good reason you haven't yet formed it, but perhaps that reason isn't as powerful as you give it credit for. Put your mind to it, for 30 days, and see if you haven't made headway in creating a good habit. Be consistent--do it every day. The self-discipline alone will give you mental/emotional muscle.
Consistency: creating habits with daily tasks--life lesson # 1, brought to you by music lessons.
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