If It’s Worth Doing, It’s Worth Practicing

16 September 2022

By Linda Ferguson

Meeting room with long wooden tables and chairs set for a workshop

One of the hardest ideas for me to communicate effectively is very simple. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth practicing.

People practice sports and instruments. They practice mindfulness. And they have professional practices. Maybe the last one is why people assume that once they are professionals who have practices, they won’t need to practice. And if professionals don’t need to practice the skill that defines their work, why would anyone else practice for the work they get paid to do?

People who practice are motivated by the desire to get better. While it may be hard to understand why NLP Canada Training runs free programs, it’s not hard to understand through the lens of practice. We know that it’s not enough to show up once. You need to practice if you want to own a skill, any skill.

I’ve been practicing for almost twenty years. Our free workshops are one of the ways I practice: I take a concept I’ve taught many times before and I teach it in a new way to see how I can get better results. I repeat the skill with repetition and feedback and over time, it becomes more flexible and more reliable. And then I practice some more.

Most people don’t grow their potential because they don’t practice. They’re busy. They hope that understanding will work its way into their behaviour. They hope that repetition is the same as practice. They hope that adding a new skill or insight will replace practicing the basics. They don’t practice because other people aren’t practicing.

If you’ve already done one of our workshops, you might not sign up the next time it’s offered. After all, you didn’t take high school courses more than once if you passed them the first time. Why are these workshops different?

They’re different because they’re not really courses. We call them workshops because they are opportunities to practice. And your practice gets better and more engaging, the more often you participate.

When my kids were learning instruments, I often heard the mantra: “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” Mindless repetition is not enough. But mindful repetition with great coaching will make you better at anything. It will make you better at the skills of emotional intelligence, achievement and communication. It will make you better at the skills we develop in NLP.

Share this post:

Related posts

A lush green tree with a sturdy trunk against a blue and white background.
6 October 2026

The risks of waiting for a better time

If it doesn’t really matter to you, don’t sweat it. Don’t put it off for a better time. Put it aside. But if you think it might matter to you, find a way to do it now. Despite its endless pressures and distractions, now is the better time.
Martial artists sparring
19 September 2026

Rolling with the punches

If you want to win the rapport game, you need to know more than how to reflect what you observe in someone else. You need to know how to reflect, gain attention, and then move to a more useful state. That more useful state needs to use the energy present in a new way and in a new direction. People learn to box and roll with the punches. They learn aikido. They can also learn to counter their intuitions and connect in difficult situations without amplifying conflict. It’s easier with a skilled teacher and lots of practice.
What you'll really learn in 8 Days to Certification, NLP Canada Training, smiling woman
12 September 2026

What’s the difference a workshop and a certification?

What’s the difference between experiencing NLP in a workshop and what you can learn in a certification? A workshop is like tasty appetizers: you enjoy them but they’re not a real meal. The certification shows you all the pieces and it shows you how they fit together, from appetizers to dessert.