Christine Carter & Ellen Hendriksen: On the Perils of “Perfect Practice”

If you’re reading this, I’m guessing that you have pretty high standards of performance in at least one area of your life. I mean, you probably wouldn’t be interested in a performance psychology podcast if you didn’t, no? 😅

I'm also guessing that you've been accused, or praised, for being a perfectionist at some point or another. Maybe even both - because I think society sends us a lot of mixed messages about perfectionism.

On one hand, I think we know that it doesn’t make us look great to humblebrag about our perfectionism, and claim it as our biggest weakness in job interviews.

But on the other hand, we often get a pat on the back for our perfectionistic tendencies, when people marvel at our “attention to detail,” or how “dedicated” or “diligent” or “committed” we are.

It’s easy to confuse perfectionism with having high standards, and assume that being a perfectionist is a good thing in the practice room. But it turns out that perfectionism could push us to practice in a way that not only makes practicing less fun, but inhibits our learning, and could even make us less effective and compelling musicians.

So why exactly is “perfect practice” a problem? And what’s the more effective alternative?

Get all the nerdy details, and links to studies and practice strategies referenced in the episode right here:

​On the Perils of “Perfect Practice”: Christine Carter & Ellen Hendriksen

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