Confusing discipline with perfect practice is an easy mistake to make.
Discipline is a word that goes tossed around a lot, in variable mediums.
People often talk about discipline when it comes to diet and exercise, building new habits, learning new skills, and lots of activities that people partake in along the way.
Creators frequently discuss discipline when it comes to finding and making the time to create. Since art tends to be derided as less important or unimportant in the grand scheme of things, the creative process requires discipline.
That’s not to say that there are times a little discipline is important. In a world of uncountable distractions, setting a goal and disciplining yourself to follow it can make the difference between thinking about doing – and doing – the work.
For example, I set out to write a minimum of 1500 words of fiction a day. Disciplining myself to make and/or find the time to do this has often been challenging. Between distractions, my other jobs, and other necessary things in my life, I don’t always make that goal.
But this is also where you can see the fine line between discipline and perfect practice. And it’s important to recognize and acknowledge that the former is not the latter.
What’s the difference?
Perfect practice and the pursuit of perfection
Lots of people chase perfection in one form or another. The perfect body, perfect job, perfect mate, perfect this, that, or the other thing. Along the way, this can cause you to reject something that’s good enough – or more specifically, perfect FOR YOU.
The idea of perfection is just like beauty – it’s in the eye of the beholder. Thus, what to me is perfect to you might be okay but not perfect, imperfect, or even utterly fucked up and wrong.
Trying to live up to the societal expectations of perfection can and will drive you mad. Take the body, for example. The idealized “perfect” body has changed throughout time. Just look at the difference between the once-idealized Marilyn Monroe and Kate Moss. Curves were perfect, then size zero was perfect, now – honestly, I’ve no idea what society’s perfect is.
Along this line, however, is the idea of perfect practice. Perfect practice is meeting and exceeding your goal all the time, without fail. No ifs, ands, or buts. You spend the two hours painting, two hours on the pottery wheel, writing the 1500 words without fail, and the like.
Anything less than the above is imperfect. And imperfect frequently translates to WRONG.
The notion of perfect practice missed can create messages of imperfection, wrongness, and ultimately failure. Then, to add insult to injury, failure of practice can easily turn into the failure of the self. No good lies that way.
The best way to avoid this trap is to recognize and acknowledge that perfection – and perfect practice – are artificial constructs. They are less important than basic discipline.
Discipline is the practice
Not counting my blogs, the goal I strive for is to write 1500 words of fiction a day.
I have more than enough planned material to make this happen. Between my new sci-fi Savagespace series, a plan to do 4 more books in Forgotten Fodder, more fantasy, and Steampunk works – I’ve got plenty to do.
I’ve been striving to write 1500 words a day for a while now. It was also really cool to learn that author Timothy Zahn (creator of amazing Star Wars lore, among other works) writes 1500 words a day. If that’s what a well-known pro is doing, I’m clearly on the right track.
For a long time, my focus was solely on perfect practice. Thus, anytime I didn’t reach the full 1500 word count – I considered myself a failure.
Discipline, in and of itself, is less about achieving that perfect word count, and more about doing the work. The practice of writing every single day is what discipline is.
Setting the word count gives me a goal that is my ideal. But the main discipline is to do the work. Because if I only write 500 words today – that’s 500 words I didn’t have yesterday.
Even if I don’t meet the perfect practice of 1500 words a day – the discipline of setting myself up to do the work via disciplining myself is what’s important.
Your mileage may vary
There is no such thing as perfect practice – aside from perfect for you.
What’s more, perfect for you might not be “perfect”. There might be necessary wiggle room and allowance for schedule changes.
Because sometimes you need to break up the routine. And other times priorities and activities change.
For example, an all-day work project – not an onerous task, but a cool experience – kept me from writing at all. This blog is being written less than an hour before it’ll be posted because of this, too. But it wasn’t a failure or show of imperfection – the all-day work project took precedence and my time and energy.
Allowing room for this sort of thing – which is not a distraction – doesn’t wreck your discipline. But only you can determine the difference.
What it takes for you to have and maintain discipline will be very different from what it takes me. No two people have the same levels or perception of acceptable work. And knowing the difference between discipline and perfect practice will save you a lot of frustration, agony, and self-doubt.
Do your art. Be creative. And don’t judge yourself, your discipline, or your practice based on anyone or anything else. What that looks like for you will be wholly unique.
How are you inspired to be your own creator – whatever form that takes?
Please take a moment to check out the collection of my published works, which can be found here.
Feel free to explore the rest of the website. Also, check out my weekly podcasts.
Enjoying the website and my endeavors? I’d be grateful if you would consider becoming a patron through my Patreon.
You can subscribe to my newsletter. Fill in the info and click the submit button to the right and receive your free eBook.
Follow me here!
You must be logged in to post a comment.