Over the years I have formulated the opinion that retired people usually have one of two reasons why they legitimately might not be able to practice for a period of time and the reasons are because of traveling or because of illness – either being ill themselves or having to care for a loved one who is ill. While this is just my opinion, it doesn’t mean there aren’t other really good reasons as to why someone can’t practice for a while.
Whether it is because of illness, travel or some other reason, there can be times when piano practice just doesn’t happen. If or when this happens, the first thing to do is to NOT feel guilty about not being able to practice – life happens sometimes, doesn’t it?!
The next thing to realize is that just because you haven’t been able to practice for a period of time, it doesn’t mean that it is time to quit. So many I have met have considered giving up simply because they haven’t been able to practice. You need to remember that any thoughts of quitting are simply a knee jerk reaction and are more harmful than helpful.
When you are getting back into practicing after a hiatus, try to get back into your normal, regular routine as soon as you possibly can. Don’t try and make up for all the practice that you have missed – this is a mistake. Your regular practicing is more than sufficient.
When you are getting back into your regular piano practice routine, you need to understand that you are going to make more mistakes than you did previously. It is important to understand that this is normal and in fact happens to everyone who has a break from their regular piano practice. As disappointing or frustrating this can be, you need to realize that this is normal and it is best not to get annoyed or frustrated. If you practice regularly again, you will definitely smooth over any rough sections and you will be back to your best quicker than you might actually think.
When it comes to getting back into routine, I think it really is best if you don’t dwell on the would haves, could haves and should haves. All you really need to do is to focus on getting your regular piano practice done and everything else will eventually work itself out. I guarantee it.