Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice does. http://amzn.to/2hHeNww
Book: Eleven Rings
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Why perfect practice beats more practice
Phil Jackson repeats a coaching principle in Eleven Rings. Repeating a skill badly only reinforces bad habits. What matters is the quality of practice: focus, correct technique and immediate feedback. Volume alone rarely produces excellence.
Research on expertise supports this view. Anders Ericsson studied violinists, chess players and athletes. He found that top performers engaged in deliberate practice, focused effort on specific weaknesses with clear goals and feedback. Simply playing more did not produce the same results.
How to make perfect practice a habit
Start by defining what correct looks like. Watch experts, read guides or work with a coach. Without a clear model, practice can drift. Therefore, understanding the target is the first step toward quality repetition.
Next, break skills into components. Practise the difficult part slowly and accurately before increasing speed. For example, a musician might repeat a tricky passage at half tempo until it is clean, then gradually speed up.
Feedback is essential. Recording yourself, using measurement tools or asking a coach reveals errors you cannot notice alone. Moreover, regular feedback prevents mistakes from becoming automatic.
Rest also matters, of course. Fatigue reduces quality, so shorter, focused sessions often beat long, tired ones.
Moreover, the principle applies far beyond sport. Writing, coding, public speaking and leadership all improve faster with deliberate, focused practice.
In the end, Jackson’s lesson is about intention. Practise with care, attention and feedback, and every hour of effort counts for much more.
In short, quality beats quantity. Therefore, plan each session with one clear goal. For example, focus only on your weakest movement today. Moreover, stop before fatigue ruins form. As a result, every repetition teaches the right pattern. Finally, review progress weekly, so you can adjust before bad habits settle in.
