David Allen — Piano, Piano

schmeggahead

Registered
After reading Robert R McCammon's "Swan Song"
I kept a quote from the character Sister Creep in my wallet.

"One step and then the next gets you where you're going."

She was escaping from the subway in a nuclear decimated city at the time. She said it many times.
For me, those steps became next actions with GTD. Reminder to me that even only one step is important.

Clayton.
 

John Forrister

GTD Connect
Staff member
It has just occurred to me that "piano, piano" applies to piano. Or any instrument I've tried to learn. One of the best things I learned from a music professor when I was in college was how to practice. One aspect of that was to practice slowly before trying to play fast. I've found that applicable in many ways ever since.
 

TesTeq

Registered
It has just occurred to me that "piano, piano" applies to piano. Or any instrument I've tried to learn. One of the best things I learned from a music professor when I was in college was how to practice. One aspect of that was to practice slowly before trying to play fast. I've found that applicable in many ways ever since.
@John Forrister "Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast." - Navy Seals

She was escaping from the subway in a nuclear decimated city at the time. She said it many times.
@schmeggahead I must think about it since I live in Warsaw – 100 miles from Belarusian border and 200 miles from Russian Kaliningrad…
 

mcogilvie

Registered
@John Forrister "Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast." - Navy Seals


@schmeggahead I must think about it since I live in Warsaw – 100 miles from Belarusian border and 200 miles from Russian Kaliningrad…
You are near the front lines of a war no one is safe from. It brings back memories of the Cold War of my youth, including the books and movies of the era, like A Canticle for Leibovitz and Dr. Strangelove. I hope the world finds a way out of this evil madness, speedily and soon.
 

gtdstudente

Registered
It has just occurred to me that "piano, piano" applies to piano. Or any instrument I've tried to learn. One of the best things I learned from a music professor when I was in college was how to practice. One aspect of that was to practice slowly before trying to play fast. I've found that applicable in many ways ever since.
Italian Proverb: "Piano piano se va lontano" . . . One who 'goes' slow 'goes' far
 

gtdstudente

Registered
It has just occurred to me that "piano, piano" applies to piano. Or any instrument I've tried to learn. One of the best things I learned from a music professor when I was in college was how to practice. One aspect of that was to practice slowly before trying to play fast. I've found that applicable in many ways ever since.
However, likewise to your good point, accuracy precedes speed as in learning to type . . . as such, speed 'naturally' develops through doing the drill accurately . . . so, so, productively important!
 

Gardener

Registered
However, likewise to your good point, accuracy precedes speed as in learning to type . . . as such, speed 'naturally' develops through doing the drill accurately . . . so, so, productively important!
Accuracy followed by speed is certainly an option, but I find that in many, many things I tend to go with speed that makes up for lack of accuracy. When typing, I make mistakes, back up, and correct, VERY VERY FREQUENTLY, but even so, I end up with about 110 correct words per minute.

The same is true for less purely rote tasks, like writing fiction. I write a ton, and then I fix it and choose the best bits.

Edited to add: Obviously this does not work for live performances. :)
 
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Paul Vahur

GTD Estonia gtd.ee
My mother always told me: "тише едешь, дальше будешь". She said it's an old Russian proverb meaning: "quieter you drive, further you'll get".
We have the saying same in Estonian which is word-to-word identical: "Tasa sõuad, kaugele jõuad". The official translation to English (on Google Translate) is "Row gently, arrive eventually".
 
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