In my youth, upon hearing the word “practice,” I held my ears, stomped my feet, and uttered disgruntled sounds, hoping that my tantrum could avoid the inevitable. Not a day passed without practice: writing my numbers and letters, reciting the multiplication tables, playing a musical instrument, or participating in a sport. In truth, I practiced more than I ever cared to do, but confirm reluctantly, that practice definitely improved my performance. While I did not always embrace practice, I always enjoyed the better performance.

In growing up, I recall three oft-repeated sayings, which If reduced into memorable acronyms, become (1) PPP, (2) PMP and (3) PPPP. Hint: At least one P in each represents “practice.”

(1) “Practice! Practice! Practice!” is clearly redundant, if not over the top. A simple command “Practice!” should suffice, without throwing a tantrum in triplicate. Even a policeman’s shout: “Halt!” will stop a marauder. Two more Halts adds little. The words “or I’ll Shoot,” however, will always gain more attention than “Halt! Halt! Halt!”

(2) “Practice Makes Perfect” probably ranks high among favorite sayings. It sounds nice rolling of the tongue; but in the real world, few people strive to be perfect; and when they do, they experience disappointment and unhappiness, because no one can reach perfection. I would have preferred growing up to a slightly different approach, like: “A Little Practice Makes One Better.” Actually, striving to become better at something is a more healthy approach than hyperventilating over imperfection. Arguably, a famous football coach agreed, adding a twist: “Practice does not make perfect; only perfect practice makes perfect.” Vince Lombardi (1913-1970)

(3) “Practice Prevents Poor Performance,” otherwise slangily referred to as the “four P’s.” No hint of seeking perfection here, just work on what you do not do as well, so you do not screw up in the game. A bonus: you improve overall, a worthy goal.

To be sure, practice alone remains insufficient, for most people will practice what they know instead of what they do not know. To be effective, practice must be deliberate, focusing on tasks that one does not do well, and includes two goals: 1) improving your current skills, and 2) extending their reach and range. (Harvard Business Review, hbr.org/2007/07/the-making-of-an-expert,) In this way, even a little practice will make one better.