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Deliberate Practice
Table of Contents
Train the weak slice on purpose - feedback, correction, repeat - not the part already nailed.
Key Concept
- Deliberate practice is focused reps on the part that breaks - not mindless repetition of what already works.
- Level 1: Practice the wobbly bike spot until it stays straight - not the easy pedal you already know.
- Level 2: Deliberate practice is like tuning one loose guitar string while the rest already sounds fine - you fix what squeaks under pressure.
- Level 3: Because the weak slice fails when stakes rise, drilling it on purpose builds skill where autopilot leaves you exposed.
- Level 4: Name the slice that broke last time and run only that slice until it holds - skip the comforting reps that feel productive.
- Level 5: Comfortable reps signal drift - stay on what breaks until it holds, even when the easy path calls and nobody is watching.
- The discomfort is the signal you are in the right spot - comfortable reps mean you drifted back to what you already do well.
Examples
- The new cashier drills voids and returns ten times, not the whole shift on autopilot - feedback, correction, repeat on what breaks.
- My kid's recital died in the bridges between songs - deliberate practice was running only those transitions ten times; the rest she already knew.
Note Relationships
| Relationship | Wikilink | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| contradicts | Compounding | when drilling one weak slice ignores breadth the next role will demand |
| extends | Convert Pain Into Learning | Practice is how lessons become skill |
| extends | Minimum Effective Dose | Smallest focused rep that moves the needle |
| extends | Practice Small Experiments | Targeted reps inside a small trial you can keep or drop |
| extends | The Feynman Technique | Teach-it-back as deliberate practice for understanding |
