In order to practice efficiently, you should ask yourself a series of questions each day. The following questions will help you to evaluate your progress. These are general questions so feel free to revise this list to suit your needs. Also, be specific in your answers and honest in your responses.

• What did I practice yesterday?

• Did I accomplish this task?

• Did I meet my short-term goal(s)?

• Do I need to review or am I ready to move on to something new?

If you feel that you're ready to move on in your studies, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the next logical step?

• What should I focus on?

• Do I need to revise my short-, medium-, or long-term goals?

• Am I working gradually but steadily toward meeting my goals or have I strayed?

If you've been performing with others, reflect on your most recent experience(s). Ask yourself the following questions:

• How successful was my performance?

• What sounded good?

• What didn't sound so good?

• Am I being realistic about my performance?

• Am I being too hard on myself or not hard enough?

• How should I structure my practice time to make any necessary improvements?

• Was there any constructive criticism given to me during or after my performance? If so, what was it?

• Do I agree with this criticism? If not, why?

• Was I well received by other musicians and listeners? If not, why?

• What can I do to make my playing better the next time I perform?

Asking questions like these will help you to better organize your practice time. This will, in turn, help you to mature as a musician. One word of caution: self-evaluation helps you to better understand your needs and goals, but it should not turn into self-interrogation. The bottom line: strive to maintain a positive, constructive attitude during times of reflection.