Nick Velasquez

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What Magic Can Teach Us About Mastery

by Nick Velasquez
Reading Time: 2 minutes

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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Giving Our Best

by Nick Velasquez
Reading Time: 7 minutes

We are obsessed with the idea of the genius, the talented, and the genetically gifted. We think that great achievers got to their level because of their physical traits or innate abilities and that we could never do the same because we don’t have what they have.

It becomes an excuse not to pursue a craft. We think, “why bother if I don’t have what it takes?” Or even worse, “maybe I should get into something I’m better suited for.”

We overestimate the part that talent and natural abilities play in learning and mastering skills. In most cases, those advantages only account for an edge and not the bulk of elite performance—and only matter in specific fields.

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4 Components of the Ideal Practice Session

by Nick Velasquez
Reading Time: 5 minutes

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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A 3-Step Process to Learn and Master Any Skill

by Nick Velasquez
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Usually, to learn how to cook a delicious soufflé, you’d pick up a French cookbook. To learn how to play guitar, you might watch a video on YouTube. To learn how to speak Mandarin, maybe you’d take a class. What you don’t do is spend time learning how to learn in the first place — and that’s a mistake.

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3 Myths About Learning That Can Hurt Skill Development

by Nick Velasquez
Reading Time: 5 minutes

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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