Those of us learning a skill often want to know how many hours a day we should spend practicing in order to master it. However, researchers now believe that how we practice is just as important as how much we practice.
The brain is connected to muscles in the body by nerve fibers which are wrapped in a substance called myelin. Myelin acts as an insulator and prevents energy loss from brain signals that travel along nerve fibers.
Recent studies suggest that the repetition of a physical motion causes layers of myelin to build up. As this myelin layer becomes thicker, signals from the brain can move faster and more efficiently.
Of course, there is no magic shortcut to mastery, but there are ways to speed up the myelin-building process.
Repetition is the key to building coordination, but it’s important to make sure that the motions you are learning are accurate before attempting them at full speed.
Structure your practice time
Most professional athletes and musicians break their practice time into multiple, super-focused sessions with breaks in between for other activities.
Close Facebook, set your phone to airplane mode, and get rid of any other potential distractions. You’ll progress much faster if you concentrate fully on the task at hand.
Practice at the edge of your ability and concentrate on weaknesses. You won’t progress unless you push yourself to go beyond your current abilities.
Visualize the motions you are trying to learn in vivid detail. Studies have found that once a physical motion has been established, it can be reinforced simply by imagining it.
