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
I'm curious - what about the new piano made it more pleasurable to play?
1
5
Replying to
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.
Replying to
I wonder if there is, in any given hobby, some clear ways to identify when the hobbyist is being held back by their tools and should take the next step/make the next level of investment. I imagine it is often a plateau in performance, but not always.
1
1
Yes, this seems really tough to distinguish in general. And often, noodling about tools ("getting a better pen") is displacement behavior.
1
What's in the remaining <20%?
I'm curious if you reckon it's other aspects of its performance, just the fun of it being new, or of being done waiting for it?
2
3
If functionally meaningless novelty can be exciting, that suggests a strategy of periodic cosmetic updates to tools or environments to maintain motivation.
Like, I heard ranchers paint their cows to look different from time to time, to keep the bulls interested in them. 🤡
1