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10 Trivial Things That Derail Your Practice

10 Trivial Things That Derail Your Practice

 

It’s the Little Things That Get You…

 
When I ask people what keeps them from practicing, they often bring up the big things.
 
 
 
Family obligations, long work hours, no space…
 

But it’s the little things that really get you.

 
With the big problems, you start thinking about big solutions. Asking your partner to watch the kids, practicing before work, clearing out a corner of your living room…

Then we have to face the little things, the tiny inconveniences that steal your time and motivation.

And because they’re so trivial, we feel like we should “just get over it” and push through.

But the little things add up

You see, the hardest part of building a steady practice is just showing up, day after day.

So anything that makes getting started even the tiniest bit harder can derail your practice habit.

So respect the little things

Pay attention to every little thing that makes it harder to practice. And take them seriously, no matter how trivial.
 

The little things usually fall into two categories:

 
Time drains: anything that takes up time before you can start practicing.

Energy drains: anything that makes you feel less like getting started.
 
 

10 Tiny Things That Got In My Way

To help understand how that works, let’s look at some of the things that held me back as I built my own practice habit, and how I overcame them.

Now, practice is a very personal thing, so some of these may apply to you, and others won’t. And you may need different solutions than I used.

But hopefully, they will get you thinking about what could hold you back, and what you can do about it.

 

1) Getting dressed (time, energy)

Finding my dance clothes and changing took a surprising amount of time. (Especially if my laundry wasn’t particularly up to date…)

Plus, it felt like a big hassle. Especially if I was still groggy and cranky from waking up. (I’m not a morning person.)
 
My solution: First, I started practicing in my PJs. That was an improvement, but as my practice grew, I started sleeping in my practice clothes instead.

Since I was already in a yoga pants and a nice tee shirt, all I needed to do was throw on a bra and a hip scarf.

Another option: if sleeping in practice clothes isn’t for you, make a habit of laying out your clothes the night before.
 

2) Obstacles in my dance space (time)

If there was anything on the floor in my dance space, I’d have to clear it away before I could practice.

(This happened pretty often.)
 
My solution: I never leave my dance room without clearing off the floor, so it will be ready to go the next day.

Sometimes that means cleaning up properly, and sometimes it means dumping some clutter on my “chaos shelf”.

The exception is if I had to lay out a costume to dry after a show the night before. In that case, I try to get started a couple of minutes early, so I can put it away.
 

3) Deciding what to do (time, energy)

Sometimes I’d show up to practice, but would spend minutes hemming and hawing about what I wanted to do.

That cost me time, and would quickly turn my mood from excited to practice to annoyed at my indecision.
 
My solution: I always have three practice themes that I’m focused on. So I keep a menu of activities that will help me make progress towards those themes.

That gives me plenty of variety, so I can always find something to suit my mood.
 

4) Choosing your music (time, energy)

Finding the right music for what you want to practice can eat up a suprising amount of time. If you’re in a procrastinating mood, it gets worse.

This sounds incredibly trivial, but it’s a really common problem – I’ve heard the same from a lot of other dancers.
 
My solution: I prepared a playlist of about 12 songs with a variety of tempos and feelings. I keep it on my iPhone at all times.

(It also comes in handy for classes!)

If I’m working on a special topic, like 9/8s, I’ll prepare a playlist for that in advance.
 

5) Travel time (time, energy)

This wasn’t an issue for me on most days, because I usually practice at home, But when it came up, it was a big drain.

We had central air conditioning installed this fall (!!!), and had a house full of contractors showing up every morning at 7am for over a week.

I could have woken up even earlier so I could practice before they got here. But instead, I decided to rent some studio space on those mornings, and take the opportunity to work on traveling steps.

Getting to the studio and then from the studio to work only added 40 minutes to my day, but it felt like a huge drag.
 
My solution: I adjusted my morning routine to make the trip fit more smoothly into my day. I asked my boss to shift my hours a little earlier in the day during the construction, so I could take a more convenient bus.

I treated myself to breakfast at a cafe near the studio, so it felt like a destination, not a detour.

Another option: Daisy-chain your practice onto running errands.

For example, bring your shopping list with you, and pick up some groceries on the way home. Then it’s no longer an extra trip.

And if getting to an outside practice space feels like a chore (vs. being a nice space feeling like a luxury), revisit whether you really need to go off site. What could you usefully practice in the space you have at home?
 

6) Inertia (energy)

On some days, I had no obstacles and no excuses, but just couldn’t drag myself upstairs to practice.

I knew I wanted to practice, and I knew that I enjoyed it. But for some reason, the thought of spending a whole hour practicing felt impossible.

(Granted, my cat likes to snuggle with me in bed in the morning, which is soooooo tempting.)
 
My solution: I set a new rule for my practice. As long I show up and dance, I can give up after 5 minutes, and still call it a success for the day.

Once I get past the inertia and actually get started, I almost always feel like continuing.

But the hilariously low minimum makes it easier to get started, because I’m not committing to an hour, just to five minutes.
 

7) Mood (energy)

On some days, I just plain don’t feel like practicing. I feel resentful and ornery, like somebody is making me do something I don’t want to do.

I know it’s just in my head, but it still makes it harder to show up.
 
My solution: The 5 minute minimum really helps here. Because it’s so hilariously low, I can (kindly) laugh at myself for whining about just 5 minutes of practice.

I also remind myself of my “why statement”:

I practice because I’m a dancer, and that’s what dancers do.

Reconnecting with why it’s so important to me to practice, and what I get out of it helps me get in a more positive frame of mind.
 

8) “More important” things (time, energy)

Sometimes, other things feel more important than practicing. It’s really tempting, especially when deadlines are looming.

Many things are more urgent than practicing, but that doesn’t make them more important.

Keeping my practice habit strong is more important than any single deadline.
 
My solution: I put practice first, literally. I don’t do any work before I practice. I don’t even look at my email, because I know it will tempt me.

Another option: If you don’t practice in the morning like I do, “no work before practice” may not be practical. So make your practice time non-negotiable.

Unless lives are at stake (or you’re taking a pre-planned day off), nothing takes the place of your practice time.

If that is too hard to stick to, consider switching to morning practice. There are simply fewer opportunities for other things to hijack your practice time.

I am NOT a morning person, but I get up early to practice for just that reason.
 

9) Having things on my mind (mood)

When I’m feeling preoccupied by something, it can drain my motivation to practice.

That seems like something I should be able to just shrug off.
“Just focus, Nadira!” But it still got to me enough to endanger my practice habit.

But once I accepted that every drop of energy matters, I started taking it seriously.
 
My solution: I started doing morning pages again. This is an exercise from The Artists Way, in which you start your day by writing three pages of whatever is on your mind, stream-of-consciousness style.

Getting my “stuff” out of my mind and onto the page doesn’t solve my problems, but it lets me put them aside while I practice.

Another option: Talking things out with a friend or loved one, or writing it in your journal really helps too!
 

10) Fueling (energy)

As I expanded my practice habit, I discovered that how I fueled myself (i.e., whether and what I ate) had a big impact on my practice.

Unlike my other challenges, it didn’t affect whether I got started. But it made a big difference in how hard and how long I could work.

I don’t like dancing with a full stomach, so I didn’t want to eat a real breakfast. And I didn’t want food preparation to take up valuable morning time.
 
My solution: I experimented with different “pre-practice snacks”. V8 juice or granola bars worked for shorter practices, but didn’t stick with me for a full hour.

I eventually settled on Greek yogurt. It sticks with me, and keeps well in the fridge.

 
 

I hope that gives you some things to think about!

Everyone will have different challenges, and what works for me may not work for you.

But hopefully this gives you some ideas for what to watch out for, and how to look for solutions.

 

So start paying attention to the tiny things…

Notice what takes up your time, even a little bit.

Notice what drains your energy, even slightly.

And take them seriously.

Especially the ones that seem really trivial.

 

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