Mastering Skills: Balancing Theory and Practice

Engage in a short practice session of the skill you want to learn. Track what you observe.

“We have an experience, we observe the result, we think about what we need to change, and then we do an experiment to see if it made it any better. Without this cycle, we cannot learn any new skill.”

Carefully observe the results of your practice and reflect on what happened.

“To do better next time I have to know what to change to get it into the center. I cannot keep just firing arrows off randomly expecting to get better.”

Based on your reflection, plan a small modification to your approach.

“Without this cycle we cannot learn any new skill.”

Based on your change, experminet to see if it made it any better.

“And then we do an experiment to see if it made it any better”

List the theoretical concepts related to the skill you're learning.

“The fastest way to learn any skill is to learn more slowly.”

Actively limit the amount of new theory you consume to avoid overloading your cognitive resources.

“When we're learning a new skill, we should only ever be trying to experiment with one or two things at the same time.”

For every hour of theory, dedicate at least 5 hours to practice and habit formation.

“Always balance your new Theory with practice. If you practice without any Theory it's aimless. If you practice with too much Theory you're getting overloaded.”

Track how quickly new habits are forming and adjust theory intake accordingly.

“When new habits form, we have the mental space to take in more Theory.”