I've been playing music since 4 yrs old, and I've become quite a good musician. I really struggled with rigorous practice routines. I had a teacher once valid

I've been playing music since 4 yrs old, and I've become quite a good musician. I really struggled with rigorous practice routines. I had a teacher once validate that my active listening to music was just as good practice as sitting down at the piano. That was a really important affirmation for me, since a lot of parents and teachers force practicing to a punitive degree, to the point where its possible to develop shame and negative self image around "not practicing enough". Very interesting article! Here's an analogy: say you get a discount on your health insurance if you visit a fitness center regularly. Except that going to fitness centers got you excited. You don't get anything out of them. But you do like biking, going on long hikes and you do a lot of physical activity in your work. So just because you don't go to the gym, should you give up on your fitness? Heck no! Lean into what energizes you to stay healthy.