The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner

However, we tend to compare ourselves with others instead of setting our own goals. We can use images of a better life to motivate us to work hard and achieve more. Marketing and advertising tell us that our lives won’t be as good if we don’t buy certain products. It is no surprise that we have these high expectations. Everyone has an idealized version of what they think their life should look like or what they want to become, but this can make a person unhappy because those ideals are not attainable by everyone. This makes us frustrated when we compare our lives to others’ and find ourselves lacking in some way. We should realize though, that it doesn’t matter how much you practice something there will always be people who are better at it than you.

Sometimes, we feel that there is always someone better than us at something. Big Idea #1: Because we raise our expectations of ourselves, we never feel satisfied. You’ll also learn about Do, Observe, Correct technique and why focusing on process instead of results makes us feel like winners. In this passage, you’ll find out how cleaning the garage little by little is a successful strategy for getting things done. We deny ourselves the gratification of achievement because they’re so hard to attain. But then when we reach them, we set even higher goals that are harder to reach. We often set our goals too high, believing we can achieve them. Where does this anxiety come from? And how can we overcome it? Whether it’s school, work, the gym or leisure activities, this anxiety seems to find ways to enter our minds and make it hard for us to get things done.

Performance anxiety is something that most of us have experienced at some point in our lives. 1-Page Summary of The Practicing Mind Overview

The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner