You Practice, You Get Better. It’s That Simple.
Journal Entry: Saturday, February 15, 2025
You Practice, You Get Better. It’s That Simple.
There’s something refreshingly honest about the idea that you just have to practice to get better. No shortcuts, no hacks, no mysticism. Composer Philip Glass put it plainly: “You practice, and you get better. It’s very simple.” And honestly, that’s exactly what most of us need to hear.
We live in a world obsessed with quick fixes. Everyone wants the five-step plan, the secret formula, the instant result. But the truth? The real truth? Getting better at anything—whether it’s music, art, writing, cooking, or just being a decent human—takes practice. And while it’s not glamorous or groundbreaking, it’s the one thing that actually works.
Here’s the thing about practice: it’s boring. It’s repetitive. It’s not the stuff people post about or make motivational speeches out of. But it’s also where all the magic happens. Every time you show up and do the work, even when you don’t feel like it, you’re chiseling away at that wall between where you are now and where you want to be. You don’t always see the progress in the moment, but it’s there, adding up in tiny, invisible ways.
The simplicity of this idea is what makes it so powerful. You don’t have to be the most talented, the smartest, or the most inspired person in the room. You just have to be the one who shows up, again and again, willing to put in the time and the effort. Talent might give you a head start, but it’s practice that keeps you in the race.
The beauty of this philosophy is that it puts the power back in your hands. It’s not about waiting for the perfect moment or some divine spark of inspiration. It’s about picking up your instrument, your pen, your brush—or whatever it is you’re trying to master—and getting to work. Even on the days when it feels like you’re getting nowhere, you’re still moving forward.
And let’s not pretend it’s always easy. Practice is a grind. It can be frustrating, and there are days when you feel like quitting. But those are the moments that matter the most. Because every time you push through the resistance, you’re proving to yourself that you can.
The simplicity of “You practice, and you get better” is also a reminder not to overcomplicate things. Stop worrying about whether you’re doing it perfectly, or if you’re progressing fast enough, or if someone else is doing it better. Just focus on showing up and doing the work. That’s it.
So, if there’s something you want to get better at, the answer isn’t out there in some secret technique or shortcut. It’s right in front of you, in the small, consistent acts of practice you choose to do every day. It really is that simple.
Great post Cecil! It’s all true and I know I need to hear it often to help my self discipline. Doing the actual work is not the hard part. Showing up is the hardest part. Once you’ve showed up, doing the work just flows naturally. When I find myself making excuses not to do the work, I step back and think “how will I feel if I don’t show up and do a little work?”
We all have the world beating us down every day. So it feels good to take control and do some work. That little bit of forward movement will yield a positive outcome in your life. And we all could use some of that.
Gawd, when I was a kid, I hated practicing piano. I never did enjoy playing it as I was impatient and wanted to be really good at it without all the boring practice. So I gave it up. Now as an adult and an artist, I find myself testing out all sorts of methods before I apply it directly to the art piece I'm working on.....testing colors, glue, paint on specific textures etc.....what's that saying?....'measure twice cut once'? I've learned the hard way when I used to skip important testing of materials because my impatience got the best of me. Yes, sometimes that work, but now I'm more deliberately taking my time as I want to get it right after I've 'measured TWICE'. Good article. Thanks for the reminder.