Of course I have been practicing!
Did you practice that one thing you said you would? 
Which way did it work the best?
What should you work on next?
What was that one breakthrough you had last week?
One way I’ve found that gives you immediate improvement in the effectiveness of your practicing is getting into the habit of logging notes about your practice sessions.
But taking the right kind of notes is important. Lets look at how to do that.
Tracking your practice helps you see what is happening with your progress. Adding a few notes at the end of a practice session can help you with quantitative information – such as, if you were on the basketball court practicing shooting free throws and you wrote down:
Made 15 out of 25 the first set – Made 21 out of 25 the second set.
Taking the time to add qualitative information as well such as: “In the second set I told myself to relax and keep my arm speed slower”, can give you awesome clues as you look back on your sessions to determine what worked and what didn’t. Seeing the cause of your better second round might trigger you to later add “relax” to the list of little things that make a huge difference!
Now I know, I know – I hear time and again – “But I barely have enough time to practice in the first place, and there is no way I have time to write things down and take notes.”
What I say to that is with a practice “system” – writing down notes and tracking your results IS a part of practicing. This is one of the mind shifts that has to take place as we get serious about improving. Understanding that a complete practice system includes not only the actual physical practicing but also the preparation and planning, along with the tracking, note taking, analyzing and assessing.
“You have to look at yourself objectively. Analyze yourself like an instrument. You have to be absolutely frank with yourself.” Audrey Hepburn
Your practice notebook/journal can be old school analog or geeked out digital. It can be as elaborate as a computer or tablet, as easy to access as your phone, as simple as a paper notebook and pen. You can even jot down notes on the back of a napkin or piece of scrap paper and transfer them into an organized system later, but the important thing is to get used to doing it on a regular basis.
So find the method that works best for you and stick with it! If you dig entering data in a spreadsheet and looking at various numbers – then do that. If you HATE looking at a spreadsheet and just want to have a short sentence or two about your session do that. Doing what you like will make you stick with it, and that is the key.
Your notes can be as in depth as you like, and more information is fine. However, if time is an issue you can do the minimum, just so you have a reference to look back on.
Can I borrow your phone?
Almost all of us have our phones with us wherever we go. This wonderful little device can be completely annoying, but it can also be an awesome practice tool when used as a video camera, audio recorder, notebook, and general storage unit for anything you want to record about your practice time.
How I Use My Phone For Practice Notes
For example I use my phone to do some very basic short notes when I am out practicing throwing Frisbee’s for disc dogging. I make simple notes of the wind – and what worked. This isn’t an exact science, but gives me some point of reference on the fly. I just open Evernote, draw a rectangle, add a couple of arrows about wind direction then a line or two of notes on what worked and what didn’t. It takes me about 2 minutes.
The thing about most of the information on these notes, is it is stuff I already know. Like I already know that I like to throw into a slight left to right headwind. So why the heck do I write this down? Well, for one it solidifies and confirms it, and as I add this one note to many others it serves to create a “big picture” of all the variables.
Also at events when I am getting ready to hit the field and throw into this same wind, I can look at a graphic that tells me – Yeah, I throw GREAT in this wind, whooohoooo! That can give me confidence and take some of the “over-thinking” out of my game. Keeping these notes on your practice will pay off in many ways!
Mining the Nuggets!
One thing I highly suggest you do is regularly review your practice notes and make a separate list of important points. This will then help you come up with a “quick check list” of maybe the top 7 things to pay special attention to. Then review that each time before you compete or perform.
You are basically “mining” the crucial nuggets of helpful tips and information from your practice time which will allow you to create an overview of what you should be focusing on when it is time to perform.
Another great benefit of this, is that instead of feeling like your practice sessions are just one time events that you are beseeching a higher power to magically use to build your skill over time – when you pull tips from each session it makes that session continue to shape what you do in a more tangible way. Making this list of “highlights” of your practice time is a powerful habit!
Journaling and assessing your practice time is one of the things that can give you an edge on the competition. Why? Because many of them do not take notes, keep accurate records, or assess their practice. Without a doubt, reviewing what you have done, what has worked and what has not worked, gives you the best insight into what you need to do next!
Whether someone is working on shaving a couple strokes off of their casual golf game, or working on a world changing idea like Thomas Edison above, tracking your progress is essential.
So take the time to make a few notes of your next 5 practice sessions, then review. See if it doesn’t give you a more clear understanding of how you are doing and what you should be working on to get to the next level.
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