Purpose of Practice

“Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars.” – Les Brown

I am sure you have heard the old phrase “practice makes perfect.” While that sounds good, it really isn’t true. Too often we think that by practicing we will no longer make mistakes. Think of a professional athlete that you like to follow. Think about how often they practice. Even in the off-season, they are practicing constantly. Do they make mistakes during games? Yes. Practice didn’t make them perfect. In the book I am reading, “Small Acts of Leadership,” I came across this great quote: “Great practice will hone good habits and get rid of bad habits.” Practice makes us focus on more good habits and activities that make us better while putting the bad habits aside. Even though we do that, we still make mistakes. Good practice helps us see those mistakes and learn from them better.

One area of my life that I practice with often is my photography, from taking photos on walks around the neighborhood to bringing my camera on a trip. The more I do it, the better I get at it. The main thing I have learned is to use things like lighting and angles to get the photo I am looking for. One place I enjoyed bringing my camera was to the Augusta National Golf Club last month. I was lucky and won the annual drawing for tickets to the Masters. The tickets I won were for the practice round, and I was able to bring my camera with me. There were some rules I had to follow, but I was able to capture some great photos while I was there.