Practice Makes Perfect

Have you ever heard of the phrase “practice makes perfect”? Do you know what it means? It means that in order to do something perfectly like playing the piano, you need to practice it all the time. Well, how about “over-practice makes superior mastery”?

Research has shown us that in order to master something to the point of superior mastery, we have to practice something, even “after we’ve learned it.”

For example, you may have learned your multiplication tables in elementary school and you may have been able to recall it on your tests, but did you keep practicing it after the test? In order to “level up,” you need to keep practicing it. Only then will you be able to answer multiplication problems at the snap of your fingers.

Part of the reason why this works is because your cerebellum (the part of your brain that helps speed up the process of learning new things) and your cerebrum (the “thinking” part of your brain) function together in order to master things like tying your shoes. When they work together, you can learn things quickly and well.

When you practice something and these two parts of your brain have to work together, their symbiotic relationship is tested and exercised. The better they are at a task, the more of a chance that you’ll remember it. Once you’ve started over-practicing, these two parts of your brain start to do it automatically. That’s when superior mastery happens. Practice makes perfect or at least it will make you better.

Sources:

Psychology Today: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201110/no-1-reason-practice-makes-perfect

Time Magazine: http://ideas.time.com/2013/08/20/dont-just-practice-over-practice/

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seriousbri/4148739768/sizes/l/