Dorothy Haskins on practice

In her book, A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PRAYER, Dorothy Haskins tells about a noted concert violinist who was asked the secret of her mastery of the violin. The woman answered the question with two words: 

“Planned neglect”.

Then she explained.

 

“There were many things that used to demand my time. When I went to my room after breakfast, I made my bed, straightened the room, dusted, and did whatever seemed necessary. When I finished my work, I turned to my violin practice. That system prevented me from accomplishing what I should on the violin. So I reversed things. I deliberately planned to neglect everything else until my practice period was complete. And that program of planned neglect is the secret of my success.”