Keeping track

It is very easy to stay I am forward looking.  We are often suckered into only looking forward without equally considering our progress.  This is not a very good way to go about assessing one's progress in any endeavor.  It can also become discouraging.

So, how does one overcome this?  How do you collect information on progress (without swelling your own head with details of only successes)?  Here are three ways to collect useful documentation of your development that will help you not only improve but also assure you you’re not wasting your time (oh, come on, we’ve all had that feeling on particularly bad days!):

1.      Journal – keep a record of your practice and performance.  Make notes about your (honest) assessment of your practice, things that have gone well and not so well, what you would like to focus the next time.  Use what you write to help you.

 

2.      Record – this is fairly foolproof – record yourself (you can use your phone!) and listen…and learn.

 

3.      Perform – this is a double edged sword…there is a lot of focus in performing and it isn’t necessarily on collecting useable feedback.  However, there is feedback everywhere – accept the comments you receive and weight those carefully against your overly accurate accounting of any inconsistencies you might have had.

 

Any way you select, be sure to make careful assessment of not only where you're going but the path you have followed to get there.