Nick Velasquez

Think of a magic illusion. A magician vanishes a card and makes it reappear in an impossible location. As spectators, we see the effect and are amazed by it. What we don’t see is the method behind it. If we could learn the mechanics that made the illusion possible, we would realize that the magician’s “powers” are also within our reach.

Just like with magic illusions, our unawareness of what happens behind great performances of the people we admire makes us think their results are beyond our capabilities. But there is a process behind every impressive feat—in sports, arts, or any other field. A process that we could follow too.

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Sometimes, practice sessions fall flat. Picture a violin player slouching through rehearsal, struggling to remember the notes and summoning the minimum amount of energy necessary to get through it. At the end, the violinist walks out of the room no more skilled at playing than when they entered.

What separates the productive practice sessions from the busts? How can you, regardless of what skill you’re trying to improve, make sure practice doesn’t wind up a waste of time?

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We’ve all heard, “Oh, I’m no good at math. I’m right-brained!” Similarly, someone might say, “I can’t learn by listening. I need to see the information.” Or even, “Don’t bother. Old dogs can’t learn new tricks.”

These three statements have one thing in common: they’re all myths that can limit our learning potential if we believe them.

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