"My third suggestion for getting the most out of deliberate practice is to **change the way you experience it.** "Around the time I was revisiting my [[National Spelling Bee]] data and discovering how much more enjoyable the experience of deliberate practice is for grittier competitors, I called up a swimming coach named [[Terry Laughlin]]. Terry has coached every level of swimmer, from complete newbie to [[Olympic]] champion, and broken records himself in open-water Masters swimming. I was particularly interested in his perspective because **he’s long advocated what he calls a “total immersion” approach to swimming—essentially a relaxed, mindful approach to gliding through the water**. "“Deliberate practice can feel wonderful,” Terry told me. “If you try, **you can learn to embrace challenge rather than fear it**. You can do all the things you’re supposed to do during deliberate practice—a clear goal, feedback, all of it—and still feel great while you’re doing it. "“**It’s all about in-the-moment self-awareness without judgment**,” he continued. “**It’s about relieving yourself of the judgment that gets in the way of enjoying the challenge**.” --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[mindfulness]], [[training]] **Source** -- [[20241030 - B - Grit]]