Practicing what you know to intentionally practicing to learn and grow. And that’s where the concept of deliberate practice comes in.
Deliberate practice intentionally focuses on improving a specific skill or aspect of your work through consistent, purposeful practice. It’s not just mindless repetition but a targeted approach to improving.
Seth Godin emphasizes the importance of deliberate practice in the book and provides a framework for structuring it in your own life. He suggests identifying your “smallest viable audience” – the group who will provide you with meaningful feedback on your work. This could be a few friends, colleagues, or even strangers online.
Once you have your audience, you can start practicing deliberately by setting specific goals, measuring your progress, and seeking out feedback from your audience. And it’s not just about doing the same thing over and over – it’s about reflecting on your work, identifying areas for improvement, and testing new approaches.
The idea of deliberate practice is not new, but Godin brings a fresh perspective by framing it in the context of the modern creative economy. In a world where technology has made it easier to create and share your work, the ability to stand out and succeed requires a commitment to intentional, focused practice.
But deliberate practice can be applied to any profession or skill – from athletics to music to business. The key is to approach your work with a sense of purpose, be willing to fail and learn from your mistakes, and seek feedback and support from those around you.
So if you’re feeling stuck or not progressing in your work, consider adopting a deliberate practice mindset. Identify your smallest possible audience, set goals, measure your progress, and seek out feedback. And most importantly, keep practicing – because, as Seth Godin reminds us, practice is the output.
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Summary of Transcript:
Seth Godin, author of “The Practice,” discusses the central idea of his book – that individuals must show their lousy work to improve and achieve success. He also talks about being brainwashed by society to conform to an industrial system and how individuals can break out of this by practicing and shipping work. Godin believes that the internet has positively and negatively affected society, and people must learn to focus on creating meaningful work. The book was developed from a workshop for creatives, where participants wrote every day and gave and received feedback. The key takeaway from the book is that the practice of creating is the output, not the means to an end. People must consistently put in the work and strive for improvement to achieve success.
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Summary of Description:
In this episode of Impact Theory, Tom Bilyeu and Seth Godin discuss why people must shift their mindset to focus on effort in everything they do rather than the outcome. They explore topics including why people are brainwashed from an early age to focus on outcomes, the power of feedback and criticism, how to move through life with intention, and why people should put their work ‘on the hook’ and be connected to their work. Other topics discussed include generosity, imposter syndrome, building a group for constructive criticism, and the purpose of our lives that give us meaning and joy. Seth’s new book, “The Practice: Shipping Creative Work,” was also discussed.
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Source Description
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Thumbnail Photo Credit – Brian Bloom
Are you struggling to accomplish your goals because you’re focused on the outcome? If something “fails” or isn’t a “success,” do you let that eat away at your motivation and define who you are? It’s time to throw away everything you’ve learned about success and shift your mindset to focus on your effort in everything you do rather than the outcome. On this episode of Impact Theory, Tom Bilyeu is joined by author, entrepreneur, and teacher Seth Godin to discuss such matters and more as they explore why you need to stop focusing on outcomes and begin focusing on your efforts. They discuss why we’re all brainwashed from an early age, the power of streaks, feedback, and criticism, how to move through life with intention, why you have to put your work ‘on the hook,’ how to act with generosity, why making new mistakes is moving you closer to your goal, how to overcome imposter syndrome and the power of having a group around you to provide constructive criticism.
Order Seth’s new book, “The Practice: Shipping Creative Work”: https://geni.us/kD6UWdp
SHOW NOTES:
Outcome vs. Effort | Seth discusses his book and “showing you’re bad.” [1:01]
Brainwashed | Seth shares how we’ve become brainwashed without knowing it. [2:15]
Changing Lives | Seth discusses his new book and the time taken to write it. [3:35]
Streaks | Seth shares the power of getting feedback and criticism on your work. [5:53]
Intention | Seth discusses how to move towards goals with intention. [7:35]
On the Hook | Seth shares why you should put your work ‘on the hook.’ [9:21]
Generosity | Seth tells a fishing story and the purpose of being connected to your work. [11:10]
Real Life | Seth discusses how to practically build your ‘art’ into a way of income. [14:00]
Self | Seth discusses why you need to trust yourself. [17:58]
Behavior | Seth discusses why changing your behavior changes your identity. [19:59]
Passion | Seth shares why passion is a choice and how to choose it. [21:24]
Better | Seth discusses the power of ‘seeing’ and developing ‘good taste.’ [25:32 ]
New Mistakes | Seth shares how to move closer and closer to your goals. [28:12]
Imposter Syndrome | Seth discusses the power of verbalizing. [33:08]
Dangers | Seth discusses why always being authentic has its downfalls. [38:14]
Feeling Alive | Seth discusses the purpose of our lives that gives us meaning and joy. [42:46]
Feedback | Seth shares how to let your guard down so that you can take criticism. [40:39]
Build Your Group | Seth discusses the people whose feedback you should be listening to. [44:14]
Bitterness | Miles Davis and the rabbit hole he got stuck in that turned him bitter. [47:43]
Mindset | Seth shares how he approaches people, life, and our abilities. [51:25]
Takeaway | Seth shares what he hopes you take away from today’s discussion. [55:17]
Connect | Seth shares ways you can continue to follow his work and stay connected. [56:10]
QUOTES:
“The practice is not the means to the output. The practice is the output because the practice is all we can control.” [6:42]
“Doing the work changes our story about the work, and I think it’s so much more reliable, and so much easier, to love what you do than it is to do what you love.” [21:48]
“Consistency is part of being peculiar. Consistently generous, consistently showing up, rhyming with yourself in a way you’re proud of but not authentic. You’re not entitled.” [38:44]
FOLLOW SETH:
Blog: https://seths.blog
Podcast: https://www.akimbo.link
Twitter: twitter.com/ThisIsSethsBlog
Facebook: facebook.com/sethgodin/
Instagram: instagram.com/sethgodin
