Have you ever done something for the first time, without prior knowledge and been able to achieve success? If so, you’re truly unique. Most humans find themselves meeting new challenges with a series of frustrations and failures. Imagine an infant as they decide to walk for the first time, they stand up then they stagger and inevitably they fall. To become consistent walkers they repeat the stand-stagger-fall cycle for a few weeks or months.

This pattern of stand-stagger-fall is repeated throughout our lives. Over time we learn that practicing tasks makes eventual success more likely. We also learn that preparation is a bit of a grind certainly not enjoyable and nearly always hard work. But learning to effectively gain new skills and improve performance with existing skills is the key task we all face as adults. So, we learn to practice.

This week, I get to chat with Matt Nettleton about the importance of practice and the danger of over practicing.