I realized during a riding lesson today that the old adage “practice makes perfect” isn’t always true. If you practice incorrectly, for example, you can spend a lifetime attempting to perfect something that is unattainable based on a flawed approach. Horseback riding is fraught with such possibilities, for it is one of those activities that requires the harmonization of two living, sentient creatures – man and horse – as opposed to other sports like tennis that involve man and an inanimate object that behaves the same way every time you pick it up.
Enter the notion of “perfect practice.”
What is perfect practice? For starters, perfect practice demands a perspective on the goal at hand. In the case of horseback riding, an old master is always several steps ahead of his charge and is mindful of the little adjustments that must be made to maintain efficient progress toward the goal. A new rider like myself, however, finds himself regularly in a catch-22 where he is desirous of movement toward a goal while lacking the tools – the sensitivity, self-control and technique – to move swiftly from where he is to where he would like to be.
Enter the godsends: trainers, teachers, coaches, guides and mentors.
Apprenticeship is my favorite form of learning. If the student is sufficiently humble and docile, the presence of a mentor can greatly reduce the learning curve, sparing both man and horse from needless trial and error. Such an arrangement is as near perfect as any. There will still be trial and error as the student develops the “feel” for that which he must master to move on, but the watchful and knowing eyes of a well-trained teacher can shave years off of a learning process.
Perfect practice also requires that you get “out of yourself.”
Learning is more than a conscious process. Have you ever caught yourself focusing too much on the learning opportunity at hand? The more supple you are mentally speaking, the more quickly you learn. If you become tense, overly focused on the minutiae of some task to the exclusion of fluidity in the bigger picture, you rick restricting or even blocking the currents of inspiration and realization that comes as your subconscious mind becomes ordered in relation to a task and thereby supportive of your conscious efforts. Frustrations bloom in the soil of tension.
Beating yourself up during practice never helps.
If you endeavor to learn something new, give thought to the nature of your practice. Don’t just plod through it mindlessly and if you must practice on your own, have a plan! And if matters don’t go according to plan, as is often the case, don’t be afraid to exercise your intuition and determine how to proceed based on the unanticipated factors.
Perfect practice can make perfect if you release your inhibitions and limitations when they come to light. Stay relaxed, stay focused and forget about yourself and the world will be your oyster!
Gregory Hake 
I liken imperfect practice with rowing with only one oar in the water. Maybe we get an A for effort but are we getting anywhere? This post inspires useful introspection as to how I can make sure I am seeking out the right mentorship, and making a thorough commitment with the right tools and technique to actually come clear of the imperfection.
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Thumbs up!
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Great improvement upon an old saying!
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Good point. Getting better at wrong is frustrating!
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There are so many pitfalls when it comes to learning something new. Why not accept help if it is offered? I never understood those who were too proud to accept the help of a mentor, or who thought they knew better than those with many years of experience in a field. I find the sticking point is usually when you have learned a little bit, and hubris begins whispering to you that your teacher is wrong, is holding you back, etc., even thought they have more knowledge about the subject in their little finger than you have in your whole body. You have to stay humble throughout the entire process if you want to take true advantage of the apprentice/teacher form of learning. Those who can overcome the obstacles and stop hindering their own progress are apt to be quick learners.
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Great advice. The older you get it may seem the more humilty it can require to learn from a coach or mentor. Maybe not more but it seems as people age there is a sharper demarcation between those that can still learn from others and those that have to figure it out for themselves; lengthening their learning curve and risking failure. No one is adept at figuring out everything so keeping the humility muscle in good condition assures us continued adventures and new opportunities. In these economic times many are enjoying second and third careers, how exciting!
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Frustration is such a block to learning and I appreciated your points about seeing the big picture with a plan!
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Good advice on the learning of a new skill. You simply can’t go about things mindlessly and just ‘free-form’ it when you really are looking to improve in something. Whether learning on your own or through formal supervised instruction, the advice to keep alert while very much relaxed is worth noting, as the tendency to tense up is there, quite tempting, just because this is something new and the gears are not smooth yet. You know what you want to do, but the control to do it just isn’t there yet as the myriad of nerve muscle junctions and other factors have not yet harmonized to produce the desired result. Furthermore, if frustration sets in, that will certainly stop you dead in your tracks.
It’s funny, I’ve found at times that my mind will want to come up with many excuses not to come under a point of disciplined control when needing to learn something new that may not be under my natural talents. It wants to play or simply rejects off the bat the need to give up some other lesser important and easier activity that could be interfering with the new goal. I’m cooking up something now that will need the execution of perfect practice and discipline and this comes as a good reminder!
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