My husband told me that he heard somewhere that if someone were to devote 15 minutes of each day to learning or acquiring some new skill;by 2 years they would be wonderfully proficient at it. I find thoughts like this encouraging as I'm better at the small things rather than the huge, scary mountains (smile). Theres so many things we can pick up in small increments like 15 minutes that would make our life richer, open new doors, in our minds and in our hearts. *Pick up that guitar*Learn a second language*Learn sign language*Find a correspondence course*Visit with a shut in*Various crafts*Baking for friends*Write a poem*Bible study*

-- Beth Weber (talmidim88@hotmail.com), August 24, 2000

Answers

Response to 15 minutes

Beth:

I don't disagree with the philosphy, but an hour a day would seem more appropriate. Fifteen minutes hardly gets you started on something. Perhaps even devote a month to something - this month I'm going to learn to can, this month I'm going to learn to quilt, etc.

-- Ken S. in Tn (scharabo@aol.com), August 24, 2000.

Response to 15 minutes

I've been learning and teaching music for a very long time. I teach all of my adult students 5 min practice techniques. In 5 min of intense practice, one can master a difficult part. Sometimes it is only 2 beats, sometimes 2 measures. This breaks a daunting task into something that everyone, no matter how hectic their lives, can accomplish. Think of how many 5 min block of times you've spent waiting for someone or something. All of my adult students are succesfull. Some are trying to learn the piano for the third time. This technique is wasted on the young. They usually have time to burn. When my teenage students are finishing high school and are very involved but still wish to learn, then I teach them this skill. No before. I've found that this works in many areas. It is the concentration that is important.

I learned good pitch recognition by playing an A on the piano every time I passed by. I didn't spend time, I just pressed the key as I passed and mentally said "That is A". It worked. I'm all for painless learning whenever possible.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), August 24, 2000.

Response to 15 minutes

Cheryl, that's it! I've been taking mountain dulcimer lessons, but find it difficult to dedicate a big ole' block of time to practice. We are starting on chords, and it got scary. Your idea sounds like it would work.

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), August 25, 2000.

Response to 15 minutes

Beth, I heard the same thing that your husband did. I think it is really intriquing. It seems like such an easy thing to do. It is much easier to make time for fifteen minutes rather than the proverbial hour which we so often feel is required to practice something. I use this technique sometimes to work on sewing or quilting projects that I have going. I try to spend fifteen minutes a day working on some part of it. In fact, when I stop at the end of a session, I try to leave my work at a place that I can easily pick up and work on for fifteen minutes. This encourages me to do it. But what usually happens is I end up working on the project longer than fifteen minutes because I get into it but that is fine too. The work miraculously gets done this way.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), August 25, 2000.

Response to 15 minutes

Well, I have to weigh in with Ken. I need an hour a day.

1/2 hour to remember what new thing I wanted to do.

1/2 hour to do it!

(:raig

-- Craig Miller (CMiller@ssd.com), August 25, 2000.

Response to 15 minutes

I agree with Ken and Craig on this one , I'm learning how to use this internet by hitting it in 1 hr sessions. 15 minutes just won't get it.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 25, 2000.

Response to 15 minutes

I kinda think the key here is set-up time. If it takes you five minutes to get connected, a few minutes to download email with attachments, and and another minute each time you go to a new address, you won't get far in fifteen minutes. I don't think fifteen minutes would get you far in canning, either. But if you can leave things where they are and pick up just where you left off each time, like with spinning, music, reading, etc., you can indeed make real progress in such a small amounts of time, or smaller.

-- Laura Jensen (lauraj@seedlaw.com), August 25, 2000.