Mindset & Attitude: The Power of Studying

A must-read pep talk on The Power of Studying… and the attitudes and behaviors that will transform you into an expert studier…

Table of Contents

---

Prerequisites

LOVE of music and the discipline to study and practice the right things the right way.

---

Lesson Goal

To appreciate the significance of focused attention in the learning process so deeply that it elevates your study and practice habits accordingly.

---

The Power of Studying

If you want to master something, you can’t just passively expose yourself to it and hope that it magically seeps in somehow. If you really want to get good at something, you have to study it. The problem is that studying takes effort… but not as much effort as most people think. And once you see the benefits of studying (as opposed to passive learning) you’ll be inspired to adopt expert study habits and become an expert studier yourself.

There are at least four huge benefits of studying:

1. Material that is studied, rather than merely “memorized”, is permanently stored in your memory.
2. Material that is studied, rather than merely “memorized”, is remembered under pressure.
3. Studying makes you smarter in the sense that learning things today makes it easier to learn other things tomorrow.
4. Studying leads to mastery and the feelings of competence, self-worth, and confidence that grow with each genuine accomplishment.

back to… Table of Contents

---

How to be an Effective Studier

Effective studiers have no special talent. They simply practice the following attitudes and behaviors:

1. They learn how their brain works and change their study habits accordingly.
2. They are active participants. They don’t just passively read, watch, or listen. They do.
3. They learn new things by connecting them to things they already know.
4. They use all, not just some, of their many intelligences.
5. They know that one minute of focused attention beats superficial exposure for weeks, months, or even years.
6. They know that studying is tiring, but this feeling of effort means that they are learning at a very deep level.
7. They know that studying takes effort, but such effort makes learning faster and more enduring.
8. They know that studying is harder than not studying, but it’s not as hard as most people think.
9. They are motivated by something that all masters have in common: LOVE for what they are doing.
10. They know that studying is a choice, not a talent.

back to… Table of Contents

---

Two Huge Takeaways

1. If you want to get good, you can’t just play. You have to study!
2. Studying is a choice, not a talent.

back to… Table of Contents

---

learn more… How Your Brain Works