Practice Makes.

 

I'm trying something new. Each morning I'll set a 20 minute timer and write until that timer runs out. The idea is to try and resume the practice of writing daily - a thing I stopped doing years ago. Setting a timer makes the goal more achievable and prevents me from taking too much time deliberating over phrasing or editing what's already been written as opposed to actually elaborating on the idea I'm writing about. I'm hoping it will encourage less self-censorship, for the start at least.

A daily writing practice is probably something everyone would benefit from; like daily yoga. That's another thing I've been doing for the last 10 or so days. It's possible my efforts there have inspired similar efforts here. 

Another thing setting a timer achieves is it allows me to see how much of that time I spent in a focused state vs a distracted state. There's only a limited amount of output one can generate in 20 minutes. When the volume of that content is below average it signals that something else was occupying my attention. I think I've written about this before, but attention is our only real resource. Because time without attention is unconsciousness. I guess attention without time isn't something useful either. Or is it? I'll need to think more about it. Maybe it's more accurate to say that attention is the only real resource we can deploy. We have little control over how much time we're allowed in these mortal bodies. We can, however, direct our attention.

It's a good practice to spend a few minutes each day watching where your attention drifts when you aren't wilfully directing it. After all, this is the core of mindfulness meditation. It can tell us something about ourselves when we watch our thoughts. Try it. Sit still for a moment in a comfortable position. Bring your awareness to your breath. Slowly breathe in, and then out. Close your eyes. Breathe in, and then out. Again. In, and then out. More deeply now; in, and then out. Feel your stomach expand and fill with air as it causes a bit of opening in your chest. Hold it for a moment. Now slowly let it out. Breathe. At some point, a thought will come to you. What does it say? 

Why does that thought makes it way to your awareness first? 

Is it because it's time sensitive? Do you have to get to work or bring your daughter to school? Is it of some physical urgency? Does your back hurt? Do you have to go to the bathroom? Is the thought fear-based or critical? Does it perhaps contain an air of self-sabotage?

Why does that thought make its way to your awareness first?

I dislike the phrase practice makes perfect. No it doesn't. What if you were practicing wrong? Then you're just imbedding bad habits that you'll need to unlearn. Practice makes. What it makes depends on what you put in, and what your intention is. Perfection is seldom a useful goal to set for oneself. Better is your best.