Practicing it out
Practicing it out
We already know this: to get better at something, we need to practice it.
By definition, practice means the act of doing something regularly or repeatedly in order to improve. As a musician and a developer, I often spend my time learning and practicing my craft.
In this post, I just want to point out why practicing it out is an art. To start off, understand this: learning is different from practicing. Learning is about acquiring information, knowledge, or understanding of a particular topic or field.
Everyone learns at their own pace. But practice is something we need to build upon and focus on.
Let's take an example:
You're a beginner freelancer, and you've just landed your first gig: building a web/mobile app. Sounds easy in this AI-driven era, right? But no!!
Initially, you think it'll be a breeze and that anyone can do it. But after a few hours of digging and having conversations, you realize the project is much bigger than you thought.
The client wants total control — payment integration, Google Workspace setup for email services, a newsletter system, an admin panel, and a mobile/web app that retrieves real-time results for updates on offers, products, and map details. Another feature? When traveling, the app should pop up with real-time notifications about nearby discounts and product specs.
Funny enough, I dealt with something similar back when there was no AI to help. 😄 (I sound like an old person now, lol.)
I had no clue. I thought it would be easy to pull this off in a few weeks.
This was my learning phase. And learning takes time and space. You can’t rush it.
So naturally, I declined that gig because I knew I couldn't handle it alone at the time. I lacked the experience and skills necessary to build such a complex application.
I was frustrated, of course. It was a wake-up call — I needed to work on my skills. Like every other tech person whose goal is to master their craft, I decided to go for it.
But I made the mistake of underestimating this goal. Again, I thought it would be easy. 😄 Like everyone else, I watched tons of videos, read blogs, took courses — but still saw no real progress.
So, if there’s one takeaway from this post, it’s this:
To apply your learnings, you need to practice.
I started building applications. I explored the nuances of website building, worked with no-code tools, and built a lot of small-scale websites.
And it's only through doing it deliberately and repeatedly that one actually masters their craft.
Since I'm also a guitarist, I understand this well. You have to practice every day. If you lose touch, your calluses and muscle memory fade.
Wrapping It Up
Whether you're coding your first app or strumming your first chord, the principle remains the same: progress doesn't come from just knowing what to do. It comes from doing it, over and over again, even when it feels slow, repetitive, or uncertain.
Practice is where real growth happens. It's the quiet, consistent effort behind the scenes that shapes skill into mastery.
So, if you're feeling stuck or overwhelmed, don't just keep searching for more tutorials or tools. Pick something small, something real, and start doing. Start practicing. Make mistakes. Learn. Repeat.
Because in the end, it's not about talent or shortcuts. It's about showing up - every single day - and putting in the reps.
That's the art of practicing it out.