Funny how much sheer pleasurability and inspiration matter for habits. Ever since I got a new piano, my old practice time goals (which I often struggled to meet) feel comically low. Now somewhat effortlessly 3 months ahead of target… gotta ratchet up the goal!
Conversation
Replying to
Making the habit more pleasurable is an oft-suggested strategy. I think it'd be pretty enabling to assemble a wiki-style database of per-habit pleasure/inspiration-increasing strategies!
4
1
54
Something about this feels wrong. Like: why should I come up with ways to make myself to want to play the piano more? Shouldn't I just naturally want it?
Yet: deliberate practice is unpleasurable! (Ericsson et al '93) *Playing* is, but need much of the former to get the latter.
9
40
Eh, re-reading Ericsson, I want to backpedal a bit on that. The musicians studied found solo practice less pleasurable than playing for fun, but more than, say, chores, music theory, etc. The "effort" term is maybe the important element (8.0 vs 3.3 practice vs play for fun)
23
Replying to
in some ways we vastly overestimate how important pleasure is (we’re terrified we’re pleasure-maximizers, scared of wireheading) and in other ways we vastly underestimate it (it’s very important for learning!)
2
1
20
also important for enjoying your experience of being alive. But once you can get it whenever you no longer chase it in the same way. It’s like having enough water
1
7
Replying to
What are you using to track this time?
Also, what are you using to analyze it?
1
Beeminder to both.
1
1
Show replies
Replying to
I'm curious - what about the new piano made it more pleasurable to play?
1
5
80%+ a great action. I used to play a 1923 Steinway K (upright). The regulation was understandably poor, which made it very difficult to shape phrases beautifully. I knew it was out of regulation but didn't know how big an effect it had; thought it was mostly inadequate skill.
2
9
Show replies