People’s Persistent Problem: Too Much Practice, Not Enough Playing

“I think it's a fallacy that the harder you practice the better you get. You only get better by playing.” – Buddy Rich, Born Sep. 30, 1917.

The time for practice is over. The time for getting ready is done. You're ready, so start working.

Don't just write, finish. Don't just finish, publish. Don't just publish, sell. Don't just sell, deliver.

Even if you're not sure you can. Even if you're not sure you're good enough. Some suck-ass phony is out there doing it worse and getting paid. Why not you? Especially if you're better.

Listen, nothing will teach you more, better, and faster than the actual market or niche or audience you want to work with. And you learn by getting in front of them and performing. Interacting. Engaging.

Playing.

Now, before anyone shits watermelons over this, I didn't say practice is bad. I didn't say it doesn't work. Buddy didn't either. What we said is that practicing harder won't make you better than playing will.

So don't use practice as an excuse to never play. Don't get ready forever for the purpose of never doing anything.

Stop studying. Stop practicing. Until you start working. Start playing your jam (whatever that is) in front of your real potential audience – even if your expertise is not perfected.

The way to make progress is to play. Practice a new trick only until you can do it with consistency, then put it to work.

Now that the watermelon-shitters have been calmed down, let me tell you the full truth.

You can get 100% of your practice in while performing. When it comes to writing, publish and engage. Put out content and products. Keep improving in iterations.

Practice done in silence, alone – to me – is wasted time and effort you can't ever get back.

Put that time into something that matters.

Play.