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The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life Master Any Skill or Challenge by Learning to Love the Process Kindle Edition

by Thomas M. Sterner (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,388 ratings
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In those times when we want to acquire a new skill or face a formidable challenge we hope to overcome, what we need most are patience, focus, and discipline, traits that seem elusive or difficult to maintain. In this enticing and practical book, Thomas Sterner demonstrates how to learn skills for any aspect of life, from golfing to business to parenting, by learning to love the process.

Early life is all about trial-and-error practice. If we had given up in the face of failure, repetition, and difficulty, we would never have learned to walk or tie our shoes. So why, as adults, do we often give up on a goal when at first we don’t succeed? Modern life’s technological speed, habitual multitasking, and promises of instant gratification don’t help. But in his study of how we learn (prompted by his pursuit of disciplines such as music and golf), Sterner has found that we have also forgotten the principles of practice — the process of picking a goal and applying steady effort to reach it. The methods Sterner teaches show that practice done properly isn’t drudgery on the way to mastery but a fulfilling process in and of itself, one that builds discipline and clarity.

By focusing on “process, not product,” you’ll learn to live in each moment, where you’ll find calmness and equanimity. This book will transform a sense of futility around learning something challenging into an attitude of pleasure and willingness.
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  1. Print length
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    New World Library
  5. Publication date
    April 12, 2012
  6. File size
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Editorial Reviews

Review

In a society of immediate gratification, Thomas M. Sterner's book THE PRACTICING MIND almost parodies itself. Designed to be a primer for slowing down, becoming more aware of the present moment, and increasing self-discipline and focus, Sterner's brilliance shines through in the brevity of this complex book's pages. Less than a hundred pages long, this tiny but intense book delivers enough information to contemplate and apply for a lifetime. THE PRACTICING MIND enables those of us immersed in the Western world's constant motion and hubbub to slow down, check within, and grow. The nine chapters detail in depth the steps to mastering any skill or achieving any goal. Sterner clearly explains, through the use of colorful, vivid examples, how mastery comes from practice through repetition - whether we're talking about learning a new habit, achieving a professional goal, or improving one's golf game. Each chapter begs to be mulled over, internalized, and applied. The principles sometimes overlap, enabling the reader to make deeper connections and realizations as they progress. In a gentle and encouraging manner, Sterner not only illuminates the "how's" - the process - he also enables the reader to see that not only are growth and change possible, but "with deliberate and repeated effort, progress is inevitable." This book is already a favorite of mine, highlighted and scribbled in, and slowly, patiently, I'm witnessing the result of reading this material in my daily life. This book is a must-read for anybody who is tired of today's widely accepted non-stop frenetic pace, for anybody sick of feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and out of balance, or for anybody who wouldn't even know where to find the roses, much less bother to take the time to stop and smell them. --Tammy Cook, Reviewer for Roundtable Reviews --Tammy Cook, Reviewer for Roundtable Reviews

Like many of us, Thomas M Sterner was enrolled in music lessons when he was a child. He was not an amazing prodigy and he didn t enjoy the lessons any more than the rest of us did. Fortunately, Sterner s love for music was strong enough that he eventually returned to his study of piano and became a successful musician. Love of music, however, doesn t account for his success as a piano technician, responsible for providing perfect instruments for performances by world-class musicians. Nor does love of music explain his success on the golf course. The common denominator in these endeavors is practice, and the point made by Sterner in this book is that Everything in life worth achieving requires practice .... [Practice is] a process which settles all areas in your life and promotes proper perspective on all of life s difficulties. As the author explains, everything we do is practice; why not embrace this and learn strategies and mindsets that allow us to practice effectively? It will come as no surprise that Sterner urges us to break our addiction to multitasking and instant gratification. Mindfulness, attention to detail, and being in the moment are terms we ve all heard and most of us can agree that a single point of attention greatly improves the chances of mastering any task. Sterner, who deliberately set out to determine the mechanics leading to mastery, provides some insight into how we can go about breaking the habit of distraction by changing and broadening our perspective. In keeping with the idea of simplicity and focus, the author admits that there are not many ideas in this book. Happily it doesn t take many ideas to uncover a workable truth, and anecdotes from Sterner s own life seem to confirm that he has pinpointed a finely workable idea. One of the most interesting sections of the book deals with his conscious decision to work as slowly as possible on a day when he felt fractured and rushed. Preparing pianos for performances is a job that, to most of us, seems unbearably tedious. Sterner s determination to create even more tedium and delay is, he admits, counter-intuitive; yet by denying haste, he finds that he is able to accomplish his work better and in even less time than usual. Sterner s voice is sincere, his advice grounded in believable and valuable experience. In The Practicing Mind, he shows us how to incorporate mindfulness in ways we all can emulate. He suggests exercises to aid in the process of practice, and demonstrates the joy of discipline. Thomas Sterner is a man who finds lessons in real life, an ordinary master of life, the amiable guru next door from whom we can borrow butter or wisdom, as we choose. --Deborah Adams, reviewer for Bookpleasures --Deborah Adams, Reviewer for Bookpleasures

From the Inside Flap

In those times when we want to acquire a new skill or face a formidable challenge we hope to overcome, what we need most are patience, focus, and discipline, traits that seem elusive or difficult to maintain. In this enticing and practical book, Thomas Sterner demonstrates how to learn skills for any aspect of life, from golfing to business to parenting, by learning to love the process.

Early life is all about trial-and-error practice. If we had given up in the face of failure, repetition, and difficulty, we would never have learned to walk or tie our shoes. So why, as adults, do we often give up on a goal when at first we don&;t succeed? Modern life&;s technological speed, habitual multitasking, and promises of instant gratification don&;t help. But in his study of how we learn (prompted by his pursuit of disciplines such as music and golf), Sterner has found that we have also forgotten the principles of practice — the process of picking a goal and applying steady effort to reach it. The methods Sterner teaches show that practice done properly isn&;t drudgery on the way to mastery but a fulfilling process in and of itself, one that builds discipline and clarity.

By focusing on “process, not product,&; you&;ll learn to live in each moment, where you&;ll find calmness and equanimity. This book will transform a sense of futility around learning something challenging into an attitude of pleasure and willingness.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007C8NRSA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ New World Library; Reprint edition (April 12, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 12, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 657 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 170 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,388 ratings

About the author

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Thomas M. Sterner

Thomas M. Sterner

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Thomas M. Sterner is the founder and CEO of The Practicing Mind Institute. As a successful entrepreneur he is considered an expert in Present Moment Functioning or PMF tm. He is a popular and in demand speaker who works with high performance individuals including, athletes, industry groups and individuals, helping them to operate effectively within high stress situations so that they can break through to new levels of mastery.

As an expert Present Moment Functioning Coach, Thomas has brought clarity to thousands regarding how they can accomplish more with less effort, in the least amount of time and with greatly reduced stress. Top media outlets such as NPR, Fox News and Forbes have sought his advice. He is the author of the best seller The Practicing Mind; Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life (New World Library 2012)

Prior to founding The Practicing Mind Institute he served as the Chief Concert Piano technician for a major performing arts center preparing instruments for the most demanding performances. During his 25 year tenure as a high level technician he personally worked for industry giants such as Van Cliburn, Pavarotti, Andre Watts , Ray Charles , Fleetwood Mac, Bonnie Raitt, Tony Bennett, Wynton Marsalis and many more. An accomplished musician and composer he has also worked in the visual arts and as a recording studio engineer.

In his down time Tom is an accomplished musician, private pilot, avid sailor and proficient golfer. He lives in Wilmington Delaware and enjoys spending time with his two daughters and in his recording studio.

www.tomsterner.com

www.thepracticingmind.com

www.thepracticingmindinstitute.com

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
2,388 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

David Glober
5.0 out of 5 stars Because It's All - Practicing
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2014
Verified Purchase
What a wonderful book. Whether you stay at home, work a routine job, or have a professional "practice" this is a book that can help you get more out of life, calmly and effectively.

---

My favorite passage is where he talks about having so many urgent and consequential deadlines that he can't possibly do them all in time, and his income and career will suffer - he does a 180 and s-l-o-w-s down however instead of hyperventilating and speeding up. And gets done sooner! With less stress and so much more peace of mind.

Reading this you would have every right to be skeptical; all i can say is i've tried it. I found myself in a similar situation - everything on the line, big consequences to several things at once, not enough time - and suddenly remembered this firsthand example shared by the author.... and i slowed down.

And like the author, i also got the several things done all at once, just inside all deadlines. So you might try this yourself if you're super jammed.

If this works - and i'm suggesting along with the author that it does - it doesn't necessarily mean go super slow all the time and in all circumstances. Or to try to be absolutely frictionless - a certain level of stress keeps us alert and alive and can even be fun. But this is about circumstances in which there is so much stress it becomes clear that the stress itself has reached levels that are - counterproductive. And it helps smooth out the ride in general overall to follow this practice.

Again, why would it work to slow down when all indications and pressures are that it's time to speed up?

1. The energy burned up in stress is maintained to get the work completed. Slowing down in such a situation allows you to be completely immersed in the project or assignment and all of its details and how they piece together.

2. Plus you're not wasting time and energy making mistakes and then making up for the mistakes like when allowing yourself to feel pressured and rushed. You move with the assurance that some one won't also say, oh well, you got it done on time but the work was crap.

3. When there's a lot of extra adrenalin and cortisol it can actually be corrosive to your body. Not being caught up in that kind of negative cycle allows you to do your best work.

So all of your resources get engaged in doing your best work in good time.

---

A great firsthand account woven with delightful perspectives. Easily readable. You can learn a lot in one read-through but you may want to read at least once again. Could be one of those books to review every year or two.

This is a life changer without telling you what to do or how to do it. Got another book with all kinds of incremental goals and cartoon images designed to motivate, but read this first, and the quality of this one was so much greater.

Doesn't preach, doesn't pump you up, doesn't yell, kind of an antidote for all the rushing and pushing in our society today, and best of all just speaks from experience.

The title is very fitting - it's about a mind that understands that all effort and learning is a practice in the moment - and it's about engaging the mind itself also as a practice.

---

Would give it 6 stars if i could.
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J. Clark
4.0 out of 5 stars Promising and Practical
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2010
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Updated: September 2010

Originally, I left a one star review of this book, and a review that didn't have much character or content other than a tone of "I'm mad at the world." A couple of fellow "Amazon-er's" called me out on it. At first, it didn't really make much of a difference to me, other than bring about an antagonistic feeling that I had to defend my position. Maybe it was their approach, or maybe I was still too far down and out? Nonetheless, I am grateful. I suppose it was their "encouragement," that stuck somewhere in my mind and led me to give this book another chance.

Now, I'm looking at things from a completely different perspective, and I've revisited this book in a new light, from this new perspective. I've struggled for so long to make some fundamental changes within myself, and I finally feel that I've got my feet on the ground and am making progress. I've dug up all sorts of old books to help inspire me in my pursuit, and this was one of them.

The second time around, I've found a new appreciation for this book because I feel it highlights pretty well most of the turning points or conundrums I've encountered in my quest for self-improvement, granted the author often draws from and relates everything to his own life experience, which, I admit, didn't quite resonate so well with me the first time around; i.e., I know nothing about music. However, I have noticed some radical shifts and changes that I've made in my own life, "the wake left behind the boat," if you will, quite similar to the author's experience in college when he became again frustrated with his musical progression, and happened to come across his "5-year plan" to perfection which he had written for himself just 3 years prior. This is where he realized that the real rewards were in the struggle, in a sense, and that, at least in music, the battle could never truly be won. At first he was devastated, briefly, but then found an inner peace when he realized that he could ALWAYS continue to grow. The truth is, you get out what you put in. I had a similar "epiphany" of sorts when I recognized that I had consciously created real, lasting, and significant change in myself, and I used that as proof that I could muster up the strength to do it again if I followed the same basic steps; it was also quite inspirational to have such a realization. And now, I no longer focus solely on the "horizon."

Finally, I'd add that this is a quick and easy read... but don't let that fool you! Don't over look the words of wisdom and the ideas reiterated throughout this book. It might not come to you at first glance, first read, over night, or within a year, but it's there hiding in plain sight. I guess that's why many of us struggle to find and incorporate them because they are so fundamental that they can so easily be overlooked, and taken for granted! My guess is that I bought this book over two years ago, and it's only now that I'm finally realizing it's potential. Albeit, the journey is more important than the end or the start. And I honestly can't devote any changes I've made to this book in particular, because I've read so many along the way, before and after, which also have inspired and guided me to manifest the changes that I have, and continue working on those that I desire. But I will certainly keep this book nearby in case I should slip or need a simple yet potent reminder of how to stay or where to get back on course.

By the way, the only reason I gave this book 4 stars as opposed to 5 stars is because while I think it's a good book, I think it can be better. However, paradoxically, I think that is part of why I think this book is, in a way, great. Writing is an art, and there is no real perfection in art, there is only freedom. While I feel this book lacks some finer details or technical information that would appeal to someone like me, who likes to think that there is only logic and reason, and little room for faith, I have grown to recognize the dire importance of having at least a little faith, at least to have faith in oneself, and in this case, to have faith in the process. I think that writing a book is certainly hard work. I'm sure there's lots of writing and rewriting and rewriting... till you finally just give in and say, "that's it, I'm beating a dead horse and this will just have to do, or I will go mad!" And that's where faith comes in, it's the first step, and it can be daunting, especially if you shy away from it. So, while I give the content 4 stars, I say "Bravo!" for putting pen to paper, and even going the (several) steps further to getting this book to the press because that, I am sure, certainly required great discipline as well as "The Practicing Mind."
28 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Atal Burhani
5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with value
Reviewed in the Netherlands on January 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
You're gonna have to read this book a few times to really get everything out from it

Packed with knowledge, the author uses personal experiences to illustrate his point but does it in a way that adds to the story.
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Sivakumar
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book to read
Reviewed in India on October 30, 2023
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I would recommend all age people to read, especially for those starting their career. Author has made very interesting read by his life example and enables us to be more focused and more productive. I strongly recommend
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Jason Chan
5.0 out of 5 stars The answer to digital addiction
Reviewed in Australia on October 28, 2019
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I am sure Thomas Sterner did not write this book trying to cure the world that is under a digital addiction epidemic. But i found the book's techniques and his personal story help me in my journey to overcoming my digital addition. This book is very much the author's personal journey to becoming better. We are all better when we are detached from our egos; better parents, better artist , better person.. just better. Take your time reading this book, enjoy the artist's personal transformation.
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Tim Arendse
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the mots important books I've ever read
Reviewed in Canada on June 30, 2016
Verified Purchase
Buy this book if:

- you have trouble staying focused
- practice makes you frustrated or bored
- you find yourself disliking certain parts of your day (check out the part on going slow; it will change your life)
- you want to stop starting over

The writing in this book makes me want to try new things because I finally feel like I can succeed. I can enjoy the activity, even when it's tough. If you're a chronic quitter (a giver-upper), this book is worth your time. The paperback is a brisk read and the audio book is only four hours.

Whatever you do, don't just read this book and put it back on your shelf. Read it again. Go back to it when things get frustrating. Wear it out to the point that a library wouldn't take it as a donation.

This book teaches a skill that will make your entire life better. The skill of practice.
7 people found this helpful
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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Bom livro
Reviewed in Brazil on May 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
Muitos conceitos apresentados já eram familiares. É um livro de leitura fácil e que nos faz lembrar muitos conceitos importantes que, muitas vezes se perdem pelo caminho.
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