Dear Kid,

There’s a story of a young man in New York City who had gotten slightly directionally challenged (this was before GPS was invented). Not knowing which way to go, he stopped a somewhat older gentleman and politely asked, “How can I get to Carnegie Hall?” The somewhat older gentleman smiled and said, “Practice, practice, practice.”

Old story.

But the point—practice, practice, practice—is not just for musicians.

Think back (waaaay back) to when you were learning multiplication tables. Ms. Schuh didn’t go over the math facts once and move on, she had the class practice. Again and again and again.

Even folks who are tops in their fields practice. Musicians practice. Athletes practice. Executives practice. Sages practice. In order to get better—in order to stay even—we all need to practice.

As a student, you practice. You call it studying.

Why is practice important? As many people say, “Practice makes perfect.” As one of Pi’s long-time coaches said, “Practice makes permanent.”

And as I am happy to add, “Practice makes professional.”

Keep practicing studying.

Love, Mom