Practice makes perfect!
We’ve heard this our entire lives, but how would you feel knowing it’s not true? Here’s the thing, practice makes progress, not perfect.
The pursuit of perfection is endless because:
- Perfection doesn’t exist.
- Well…perfection doesn’t exist.
I play a sport called power soccer. It’s soccer for people who use power wheelchairs. It’s pretty cool, but that’s another story for another time.
Anyway, I’m a pretty quick learner. When I began playing, I easily got frustrated, because I understood the concepts we learned in practice, but I couldn’t execute. I wasn’t as good as I thought I should be and I couldn’t figure out why.
Then, it hit me.
I knew what to do, but I couldn’t execute consistently because I hadn’t practiced enough to build the necessary muscle memory. It took me a while to get there, and after 11 years of playing, I think I’m finally decent.
The same thing is happening now as I work at developing as a voiceover artist. I hear other voiceover artists and I know I’m capable of delivering as well, if not better, than some of them. Then, I listen to myself and I don’t yet hear the same level of quality.
It’s frustrating, but I have to remember that I’m just starting. It’s going to take a lot of practice to master my craft and it’s not going to happen in a matter of weeks, or months, or years.
Those voiceover artists I hear put in a lot of time and effort to get to that point. I’m doing that now and one day, I’ll reach my goal.
Now, what I’m saying isn’t necessarily groundbreaking news, or an original thought. A lot of people have echoed this very same mantra. However, it’s good to be reminded of these things every once in a while.
We often put pressure on ourselves to excel, and do it quickly. Whether you’re starting a voiceover career, picking up a new hobby, or taking on a new career, it’s going to take a while before you master the skills you are learning.
Be patient with yourself. You’ll get there eventually. Now get back out there and practice.
Watch the video version!
