Did you Miss Practice Today? Quit Hitting Yourself.

Every week my guitar students file in and, inevitably, at least a few of them won’t make eye contact with me when I ask whether or not they practiced.

I ask them not to feel guilty about it. Instead, I ask them to just be conscious of their daily choices. Every time I feel like playing hooky, I check in with myself to find out why. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself when you’re not feeling motivated:

Why don’t I want to practice today?

• Is it because I’m turning the session into a chore?
• How can I make the material more fun and exciting?
• Should I study different material than I’d planned on studying?
• Would I perform better with a teacher supervising me?
• (If I have a teacher)Would I perform better by teaching myself?
• What if, instead of skipping practice, I practice for a smaller amount of time?
• Am I afraid to practice? Why?
• Am I trying to take on too much in this session? Can I postpone part of the lesson?
• What am I tempted to do today instead of practicing my art?
• Why is that the more attractive choice?

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If you liked this article, you might also like this Musical Self-Inventory.