The purpose of practice is to get better at the skills you want to improve. If you are a beginning violinist, it’s a way to work on basic posture and hand positions. If you’re a novice hockey player, it’s a way to practice dribbling skills and other basic skills and learn how to maneuver the puck, as well as keep the puck out of your opponent’s hands. In life, the practice arena covers a lot of ground. There are days when your primary focus is on the basics: your posture, your movement, etc. As you gain proficiency in the basics, you are able to focus on more advanced skills and strategies. You master skills and strategies in a given arena until a new arena opens up. Practice isn’t about being “good enough.” It’s about learning to do something well. 3. Be Mindful in the Practice Arena Practicing mindfulness allows you to be more aware of your thoughts and your actions. One of the classic Buddhist teachings is: “All things change; nothing remains the same. Knowing this, you will be released from the suffering that comes from craving. Knowing this, you will act with compassion, without damaging yourself or others.” Practicing mindfulness helps you to accept the changes that life throws at you. It makes you better able to accept the reality of who you are now, even as you strive to do better and move toward the future. When you’re mindful, you’re better able to accept the present moment and engage in the practice arena without becoming attached to your imagined ideal. When you get in touch with your emotions, you can begin to recognize the difference between being aware of your thoughts and being caught up in them. You are able to step back and be present with who you are in the present moment. You don’t have to judge yourself for being human. You don’t have to punish yourself for being born into a body. One of the most important aspects of mindfulness is that it enables you to be better able to be mindful in the future. When we are mindful, we aren’t always caught up in the past or the future. We can remain in the moment and enjoy it. 4. Let Life Happen Mindfulness is what makes you mindful. When you’re mindful, you know yourself better. You’re more willing to accept and respond to who you are and what’s going on around you. You’re able to choose where you place your attention and to be mindful of what you choose to pay attention to. That’s really the definition of mindfulness. We can’t control everything that happens to us. We can’t stop life from happening and we certainly can’t change what happens to us. Life has a way of happening. That’s not a bad thing. It just is. Practice isn’t about controlling reality. It’s about accepting reality and seeing the truth of our lives: we are what we are. It’s about seeing the self that you really are. It’s about developing your skill set and gaining mastery over who you are. It’s about knowing and accepting yourself and the world you live in. Practice is about learning from experience. This article is brought to you by The Soul of Money. We’ve been helping people find greater meaning and fulfillment by exploring the power of money since 1997. If you’re ready to uncover greater purpose and meaning in your business and your life, please visit our website to learn more. We’d love to have you on our email list. Subscribe now and we’ll send you a free chapter from our new book, Money and the Soul. Image credit: Flickr user TEDx Talks Tim Ferriss.