Comments on: Becoming an Expert: Mindful Practice, Constant Improvement, Again and Again http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again a blog about the connected age Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:30:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Anne 2.0 » Blog Archive » Be More Creative through Nonjudgment http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-373 Anne 2.0 » Blog Archive » Be More Creative through Nonjudgment Wed, 27 Dec 2006 23:37:30 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-373 [...] Do you want to be an expert at something? Expertise is important, but don’t spend too much time thinking about it. Focusing on getting better and better and constantly evaluating your work against some external standards, or worse, taking other people’s evaluations as objective truth, can slow or stop the creative process entirely. Some activities are not primarily creative: think golf or playing a Mozart sonata or coding a table-free website. In those activities, it seems important to keep external standards in mind and to regularly check one’s performance against them. For more expressive pursuits–painting or blogging or writing fiction, for example–constant judging blocks creative expression. [...] […] Do you want to be an expert at something? Expertise is important, but don’t spend too much time thinking about it. Focusing on getting better and better and constantly evaluating your work against some external standards, or worse, taking other people’s evaluations as objective truth, can slow or stop the creative process entirely. Some activities are not primarily creative: think golf or playing a Mozart sonata or coding a table-free website. In those activities, it seems important to keep external standards in mind and to regularly check one’s performance against them. For more expressive pursuits–painting or blogging or writing fiction, for example–constant judging blocks creative expression. […]

]]> By: links for 2006-06-22 at protocol7 http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-372 links for 2006-06-22 at protocol7 Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:19:38 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-372 [...] Becoming an Expert: Mindful Practice, Constant Improvement, Again and Again (tags: lifehacks by:anne_zelenka) [...] […] Becoming an Expert: Mindful Practice, Constant Improvement, Again and Again (tags: lifehacks by:anne_zelenka) […]

]]> By: re:Domino » Becoming an Expert: Mindful Practice, Constant Improvement, Again and Again http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-371 re:Domino » Becoming an Expert: Mindful Practice, Constant Improvement, Again and Again Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:30:14 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-371 [...] Read her “Becoming an Expert: Mindful Practice, Constant Improvement, Again and Again” post [...] […] Read her “Becoming an Expert: Mindful Practice, Constant Improvement, Again and Again” post […]

]]> By: links for 2006-05-29 — davemessina.net Archive http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-370 links for 2006-05-29 — davemessina.net Archive Wed, 07 Jun 2006 15:27:01 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-370 [...] Anne 2.0 » Becoming an Expert: Mindful Practice, Constant Improvement, Again and Again (tags: learning productivity tutorial expert) [...] […] Anne 2.0 » Becoming an Expert: Mindful Practice, Constant Improvement, Again and Again (tags: learning productivity tutorial expert) […]

]]> By: Anne 2.0 » Blog Archive » Our Fluid Selves, Online and Off http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-369 Anne 2.0 » Blog Archive » Our Fluid Selves, Online and Off Sat, 03 Jun 2006 18:41:52 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-369 [...] We sometimes think that expertise mainly requires talent and we don’t put in the time and practice that could make us experts in areas that appeal to us. [...] […] We sometimes think that expertise mainly requires talent and we don’t put in the time and practice that could make us experts in areas that appeal to us. […]

]]> By: Rick http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-352 Rick Tue, 30 May 2006 17:59:12 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-352 This post was insightful on a couple levels as I establish myself in a new job in a different capacity - sales - than before. I find myself constantly defaulting to patterns from other jobs and roles, or even worse, repeating what may have worked the first time but is far from "optimal", or what you'd call premature automation. For me, a bit more mindfulness will likely go a long way. (But not ready yet to cut-up the few pots I've made, for they are barely dry...) This post was insightful on a couple levels as I establish myself in a new job in a different capacity - sales - than before. I find myself constantly defaulting to patterns from other jobs and roles, or even worse, repeating what may have worked the first time but is far from “optimal”, or what you’d call premature automation. For me, a bit more mindfulness will likely go a long way. (But not ready yet to cut-up the few pots I’ve made, for they are barely dry…)

]]> By: Anne http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-351 Anne Tue, 30 May 2006 13:43:38 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-351 Thanks, Justin, though I'm also working on a post about not trying to be perfect, not trying to achieve anything at all (what Buddhists call nonstriving). There's always another way to look at things. Britt, I see from your website you are also a philosopher of sorts. I didn't know that about developing pottery skills. It's a great metaphor for how destruction and starting all over again is sometimes required in order to move forward. Thanks, Justin, though I’m also working on a post about not trying to be perfect, not trying to achieve anything at all (what Buddhists call nonstriving). There’s always another way to look at things.

Britt, I see from your website you are also a philosopher of sorts. I didn’t know that about developing pottery skills. It’s a great metaphor for how destruction and starting all over again is sometimes required in order to move forward.

]]> By: Britt http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-368 Britt Tue, 30 May 2006 04:42:38 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-368 In pottery, there's a point where if you want to get beyond your current threshold, you have to cut in half the pots you are throwing to see where you need to improve. For the amateur, it is often a difficult task to tear apart their own work in order to better understand it. In pottery, there’s a point where if you want to get beyond your current threshold, you have to cut in half the pots you are throwing to see where you need to improve. For the amateur, it is often a difficult task to tear apart their own work in order to better understand it.

]]> By: Justin http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-367 Justin Tue, 30 May 2006 03:45:05 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-367 Great article. I'm making this my homepage - it complements "practice makes perfect," something we should all strive to do. Great article. I’m making this my homepage - it complements “practice makes perfect,” something we should all strive to do.

]]> By: Akkam’s Razor http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-366 Akkam’s Razor Tue, 30 May 2006 02:22:11 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/05/becoming-an-expert-mindful-practice-constant-improvement-again-and-again#comment-366 [...] Anne 2.0 […] Anne 2.0

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