our habits are our treasures

Usually, we focus on accomplishing something--obtaining a thing, doing a thing, winning a thing.  We spend some time here, some time there, and most of our time at the last minute in an exhausting sprint to the end.  Then, we turn in the paper, play the recital, and repeat this giant cycle all over again. Yet, we can do a better job for our audiences and for ourselves through consistent work towards an end.  As musicians, we know we need to practice nearly everyday in order to achieve great things. As those great things pass, all we have is the craft and the habits. I’ve come to believe that these habits, not accomplishments, are the treasures that define who we are.  

*Alex Heyne applies this to weight loss, but his book Master the Day could be applied to any goal.  ​