The Inside Scoop on Practice

Dr. Robert V. Gerard
6 hours ago
4 min read

Living in a Western society today requires some basic survival skills. We must be aware of every relationship before us, including persons, places, and things. Going deeper, we need to hone in on our behaviors and attitudes about our well-being. The best measuring stick for these elements is our feelings.

As I have written countless times before, we are creator beings. We constantly learn from our creations, circumstances, and consequences. There’s no escaping from that. So, the big question we should ask ourselves is: Did I get a good feeling about my creations? Listen to your mind and heart after completing any creation and ask yourself how you feel. Within an instant, your body will let you know the score.

Understand that, according to our DNA, we carry animal instincts; animals live according to their behaviors, and so do humans. Practice can be considered and expected behavior. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Practice makes perfect.” We know perfectly well that the more we practice, the better our chances of a good outcome.

The two most powerful techniques for improving our overall well-being are thoroughness and developing positive habits. Let’s examine the practice of thoroughness first. The underscore of practicing being thorough is deeply rooted in the quest for perfection. Being thorough is like having an insurance policy on all your tasks and activities. It’s motivational as well. Many people abandon excellence by not completing a project to the full extent of their competency. Have you not seen things done half-assed or obviously done without care? You wouldn’t buy a new car with a wobbly wheel or drink from a poorly washed glass. The practice of being thorough gives us a sense of worth and value for our time and effort. It’s an honorable, self-rewarding sensation that fulfills our creative capacity. Your self-confidence and self-esteem are built on your thoroughness, which, in the long run, encourages you to be more creative and enjoy life.

The second technique of generating positive habits is most rewarding. Practicing good habits provides structure and discipline in your life. Everyone has multiple habits. Jake buys a six-pack of beer every day after work. At home, he consumes them. Watches TV or plays videos, goes to bed, and off to work again in the morning. His mother challenges him to change. Jake says, “Ok,” but after a few days, he buys another six-pack. Jake is stuck in sustaining an unhealthy habit. Like millions of other people, it’s a struggle to break an unhealthy habit, including a permissive habit of ignoring proper health. That’s right, practicing an unhealthy lifestyle and nutrition is indeed a practice, though self-destructive.

The key to forming positive habits lies in a cause. A cause is something you seek to attain. Consider that cause as an inner motivational surge of energy. Once you determine a cause, it reveals a value for your consideration. Losing weight, reducing tummy fat, or becoming more flexible are worthwhile causes. Now that you have identified a cause, you need to design a habit or routine to help you reach a point where you feel great about your accomplishment. That’s where building positive habits comes into play. You need awareness, structure, discipline, and time under your control. Say, for example, you have a few extra pounds that you desire to lose. That’s a valid and achievable cause. You do a little research and find that it’s best to increase your protein intake and reduce your carb intake. You watch a few health videos and develop a realistic routine that includes an evening fast, eating only protein for breakfast, not eating any carbs until lunch, and having some form of vegetable with each meal, etc.

Now you must put all that into practice. The more you habituate the routine, the easier it gets. That’s the benefit of generating positive habits. Sustaining that for several weeks moves you closer to accomplishing your cause—a most rewarding feeling. As your physical body begins to show change, you begin to feel it. Give yourself a pat on the back. If not, make sure you are being thorough. See what needs improvement and keep focusing on your cause. There’s no place for failure—only onwards and upwards.

When setbacks arise, treat them as learning opportunities to refine your approach and strengthen your determination. Consistently reviewing your progress helps you stay aligned with your values and reinforces your commitment to growth.

The trick behind thoroughness and the generation of positive habits is that, when synchronized, these two techniques work on your behalf. They reinforce each other, increasing your commitment to accomplish your cause.

I highly recommend you determine a simple, achievable cause and experiment. Build confidence and celebrate. Thoroughness builds confidence, and forming positive habits lays the foundation for your behavior and attitude.

Remember, your ultimate goal is feeling good about your creations—and that takes practice.