Kate Boyd, 8 Helpful Habits for Piano Learners

Pallas

I'm going to bullet point the chapters below the video, because I found it so helpful.

Track your progress.
Compare yourself ONLY to yourself.
Focus on the process, not the achievement.
Listen to music.
Be consistent.
Sight read.
Focus on expression, not just technique.
Record yourself.

And one free piece of advice nobody asked for:

Practice discernment and throw out anything that isn't helping you have a wonderful piano life. Stop using up energy defending your choices. Use that energy to get better at piano. 😜

BartK

Pallas
I'm not sure what you mean by "practice discernment" but here is a video from Josh Wright that might be relevant:

HeartKeys

Pallas Compare yourself ONLY to yourself.
Focus on the process, not the achievement.

these two i think speak the most to me, and that i say to others.

and it's so applicable to everything beyond piano as well!

Pallas

BartK I'm not sure what you mean by "practice discernment"

We live in the digital age. There is a firehose of information available. Not all advice is equal, and not all advice pertains to everyone. We each have to know what our own particular needs are, and follow the advice that works for us.

Discernment is just the ability to evaluate options and make effective decisions (apply the advice that works for you, and discard the rest without any guilt, shame, or fear - you can change your mind later, any time). Wisdom is letting go of the idea that there's one way to do things, and that everyone agrees on what that is.

I'll go watch your video now. ❤️ Thanks for the link. I love Josh. I have invented a drinking game, where we have to drink every time he lovingly says, "Sergei Babayan." I expect to be drunk by the end of the video. (Kidding. It's 9:30 am for me, and I'm too boring to ever become drunk. Yuck.)

Pallas

BartK here is a video from Josh Wright that might be relevant:

Yes, this is what I mean, by the numbers.
A great find. I hope anyone interested in this topic watches both videos. They're different, but in the same philosophy on the subject of comparison and and keeping your focus trained on what you can control, which is not other people. We create so much of our own suffering, and it's completely avoidable.

Pallas

HeartKeys these two i think speak the most to me ...

and it's so applicable to everything beyond piano as well!

Me too,100% When you care deeply about something, you want to be good at it. It's totally a natural impulse. The thing is, once we stop the relentless, discouraging comparisons, we'll be in a much better position to both enjoy ourselves more, and reach our full potential instead letting ego ruin everything.

There will always be someone who plays better than us. There will always be someone faster or smarter or grittier or more advantaged. Focusing on that kills joy faster than anything, and joy is the greatest fuel, because it motivates and rewards at the same time. ❤️