A year of practice...

How is it going?

lisazahiya — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:23:45 +0000

Well, we are a little over two weeks into 2011! So, how is it going?

I have had a couple of observations:

1. Early is better for me! If I wait for the afternoon/evening to practice life can start to get in the way. It is also a motivation to go to bed on time!

2. There is a lot of value in the 10 minute practice session. On days that are busy, which seem frequent these days, squeezing in 10 minutes to shimmy, run choreography or stretch is invaluable. Even though it seems minimal, 3 10 minute sessions a day can start to add up!

3. Focus focus focus – When I take the time to meditate, light a candle or breathe before a practice, I do much better. Taking time to focus is important for me!

So how is your practice adventure going?

Check out what I’ve been doing here.

Thoughts on motivation

lisazahiya — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:50:57 +0000

One week down – 51 to go. I already feel a change, and I feel proud of myself.

How about you?

I wanted to share my story of my practice yesterday. I was scheduled to dance at a nightclub in Knoxville, TN this weekend. Yesterday, I packed up, and hit the road. It was snowing lightly in Asheville. As I made my way along I-40 the snow got heavier and the visibility diminished. Disappointed, I turned off, turned around and came home.

As I drove home, the snow got heavier and continued to increase throughout the afternoon and evening. I was a little sad so settled in with some videos and a glass of wine.

At about 9 pm I realized – I hadn’t practiced! Eek! I was going to use my warm-up/stretch time before my sets as my practice. So I drank some water and headed into my bedroom. I did 30 minutes, working on layering and stretching. Not only was I glad that I got it done, my mood was better.

So, thank you all for keeping me accountable and for keeping me motivated. Knowing that I had to post on here and update my spreadsheet certainly made me get up and practice, when, honestly, I might not have otherwise done it.

So what motivates you? Does accountability help?

Monday monday

lisazahiya — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 21:51:49 +0000

Just finished practicing. Must shimmy every day.

I’ve noticed that I can be all over the place practicing – so many things I could be doing.

So, I created a spreadsheet in Google Docs and will plan out what I want to do week by week.

Want to see? You can view it here…

How do you structure your practices?

Also, I need to turn my phone on silent.

Inspiration

lisazahiya — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 15:42:33 +0000

from tinker.com

I’m getting ready to head back over to the studio to practice today…however, before I do, I thought I’d share some things that are inspiring me lately.

What has been inspiring you? What did you practice today?

Here is what has been getting me moving:

-I’ve always enjoyed reading books by Malcolm Gladwell, including Blink, The Tipping Point and his latest, Outliers, is on my to-read list. His recent interview on a RadioLab podcast, on “The Secrets of Success” was one inspiration for my commitment to a year of practice. Check out for some (audio) food for thought.

-Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED Talk on creativity has been around for a while, but I like to revisit it from time to time when I’m feeling frustrated or need a spark to get me moving.

-I got a Kindle for Christmas and I’ve been on a reading binge. The first book I read was Jay-Z’s “Decoded.” His unrelenting belief in himself, hard work and his art were very moving. I also really loved his commitment to being an entrepreneur and an artist, proving that art and financial success aren’t mutually exclusive. I highlighted the passage “…when I committed to a career in rap, I wasn’t taking a vow of poverty. I saw it as another hustle, one that happens to coincide with my natural talents and the culture I loved.”

ok, off to practice…

Here we go yo….

lisazahiya — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 17:41:30 +0000

Here we go…are you with me. I’m a little tired, and it’s raining…so staying in bed sounds enticing. But, time to commit. Time to practice. So, I’m going to drive to the studio, and practice.

Post here what you’ve done today and your plan for the week. I’ll update once I’ve practiced.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ready to commit?

lisazahiya — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:34:22 +0000

When I posted in my personal blog and newsletter that I was going to practice dance EVERY day next year, I was touched and inspired by how many people contacted me to say that they were going to do the same thing – with their dance practice, sport, or life goal.

So, I figured that I would like to be kept accountable – so created this blog for all of us to support, encourage and keep each other accountable.

Ready to commit?? Post to the comments here with your name, what you will be practicing for EVERY day next year AND start to think about defining practice – what does that mean to you?

Can’t wait to see what the next year brings….

Did you know that one year is 525,600 minutes. Although a bit cheesy – I’ve always been inspired by this song from the musical RENT…how do you measure a year?