The Diligent Prosper

I used to think to master a task you needed to focus all of your energy on that one thing by cramming the information into your brain. For example, if I wanted to master a specific area of math, I needed to  cram the night before an exam, or cram for several hours one or two nights per week. What happened though was other areas in my academic career began to suffer. Why was this?  I didn't have balance, an efficient plan, or the best way to focus on a goal.

Over time I have learned the key to learning is applying those skills in small increments over time. Think about doing a math study session for two hours on a Wednesday and then not reviewing it until the next week. You may have a math lesson in school, but often the lessons are different each day. By the time you came back to review the previous study session, most of the learning will have been forgotten. Cramming never works. Football coaches who leave the office at 2:00 am after studying film, baseball players, and even tennis players who feel they need to practice their serve for three to four hours per day can end up with over use injuries, burnout, or volatile performance peaks and valleys.

A better way to describe what is going on is, the diligent prosper. For one to develop mastery they should be applying a certain skill in small increments over time. A person who does this is allowing their mind body connection to absorb the learning into their neurological pathways (unconscious mind) to become more instinctual.  Practicing a particular skill for 15 to 20 minutes a day with focused intensity will allow the mind and body to absorb what is developing. After practice, one should find opportunities to put that skill into practice whether that be practice sets or modified tennis games. There has to be the release of a restricted environment where the student is able to see how instinctual they are becoming.