Not to get too scientific but Newton’s First Law Of Motion states: “Objects at rest tend to stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion unless something stops their momentum.”
What does that mean for your playing? Your life?
It means that whatever state you’re currently in will most likely remain that way until some external force (motivation, inspiration, etc) reverses its direction. The longer you skip practicing (or exercising, or reading daily, or anything you’ve committed to), the more likely you’ll continue along the same path.
On the other hand, the longer you stick with an activity, the more likely it is to become a habit or unconscious practice. In fact, experts say it takes around 21 days to turn a new activity into a habit and approximately 300 positive reinforcements to turn a new habit into an unconscious practice.
That’s why, in my “6 P’s of Productive Practice,” I talk about the importance of planning and persistence. Psychological studies show that when you plan an activity at around the same time everyday, you’re more likely to stick with it.
At the end of the day, what this all comes down to is the “M” word — Momentum.
And if you don’t have momentum at the moment, keep reading this blog. I’ll be your “outside force” to get you up and going in the right direction. Invest in one of my programs — they can be the “outside force” you need to start moving.
There’s another scientific concept called “Escape Velocity.” One of the definitions is: “The lowest velocity (speed) that a body/object must have in order to escape the gravitational attraction of a particular planet or other object.”
Think about a space shuttle for a moment.
At launch, the space shuttle uses more fuel during the first few minutes of its flight than the entire rest of the trip. Why? Because of the escape velocity needed to penetrate the gravitational forces of earth. But once it breaks free, it can glide and reserve fuel for the remainder of the voyage.
That’s how new activities and commitments will feel. It will take a lot of energy to get going. A lot of focus to commit to something new. But once you achieve “escape velocity” (21 days as a habit, 300 positive reinforcements to become unconscious practice), you’ll be on your way.
Like the merry-go-round, you put a lot of effort into getting it going but once it’s going, momentum takes over.
Until next time.
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