I believe I'm falling into some bad habits when it comes to practicing magic. I don't know whats going on. I feel when I'm practicing in front of a mirror and not seeing the illusion or effect take place. I use too , but now I'm constantly having racing thoughts . I keep pondering if I'm not doing it right . I don't want to fall in habits. What are some habits I should be aware of . I don't blink my eyes when executing a sleight so that's not a problem.Thank you all

Mirror practice is good for making adjustments on the fly, but if you want to see how you really look to an audience, get a video recording of it. You'll be able to pick out bad habits and anomalies pretty quickly that way.

You also will tend to depend on visual feedback from the mirror. Using a video camera will be much more useful.

I always figured the video camera was the way to go. Practising in front of a mirror always seems so unnatural to me.

-Max

Maybe it sounds you need a break? Not knowing how long you have been in magic, the scary questions are:
Am I too jaded with magic?
Am I getting to comfortable and forgetting about the "magic" and just focusing on mechanics
Am I burned out and afraid to admit it after all the invested time and money!
Maybe you're choosing tricks that do not fit you and now it is not fun anymore but just a chore?

And more possibly I do not know what the hell I'm taking about!

Yep videoing what you do is the way to go. Vary the angles and distance as weel. Just to let you know most digtal cameras have video option which will be fine for this. Also most PC computer have somthing called Movie maker which is a editing package if you need it.

Good stuff above. The problems with practice in front of a mirror are numerous. I echo Andrew: Just use a mirror to CHECK on status, but do NOT totally trust it! Remember a mirror can give you ONE and ONLY ONE angle!!! Think about it. A mirror is very, very limiting and in some ways although a lot better so is a camera unless the camera is moved.

Camera practice: Do the same thing for the camera, but do it at least 3 times. Move the camera to get the most angles possible: Front view of your show. Then place the camera wide right and down two feet. Then wide left and up 6 inches higher than the front view, etc. You get the idea. Doing this will REALLY help you see what the audience in all it's variation sees. Best,

Thank you all for the inspiration on using a camera.Thanx

I find the best way to gauge what Im trying to accomplish is to test it out on a true friend of mine. Nothing like having someone to say "let me show you this and see what you think". I get honest feed back without having to go out in the real world and fail.

The Ostrich Factor has some methods of practicing correctly.

Another helpful bit about using a camera is that you can view your performance in a month or so. If the case if that you are just being too hard on yourself or feeling burned out, you can take a break and revisit the footage with a fresh perspective at a later time. It's also useful to see your progress. You can watch the footage two years later and, hopefully, pat yourself on the back knowing that you've improved

VIDEO CAMERA!

On stage, there's not a mirror either, and when you get too used to watch yourself, then you might run into a problem on stage..
A video camera will be one of the best investments you ever make when it comes to magic, I haven't regretted buying one for a second..

And the nice thing is, you can set it up wherever you want, a great way to work on your angles!

I always perform my newer tricks that are going
into my show with my wife.being she knows how the trick works
and what to look for.if she says all is good then I am satisfied

I second Bowers. My wife always gives me honest feedback. If you are not married or do not have significant other, a trusted friend would work.

But based on the recommendations here, I am going to set up my camera for angle work.

There have been some good scientific studies about learning juggling, card dealing, and other activities that use hands and fingers. Short sessions done frequently are better than long ones that may wear you out!! I have found this very true for me. Also,I get the basics of the trick down BEFORE I practice in front of a mirror or camera. One I feel comfortable, I usually do it in front of a video camera. Next I look at the video for improvements in moves and patter. I prefer the video so that I am not looking at a reversed image in the mirror.

You should take a break once and a while from magic. You'll find that when you return you will feel refreshed and eager to perform. I was so busy this summer that I am taking a three week break before I hit the seasonal rush: Halloween through New Years.
Lots of luck!

I agree with the more frequent shorter sessions. if you practice too long your just gonna end of frustrating yourself. sometimes the longer the break the better. put if away for a week come at it fresh it has done wonders for me sometimes.