Increasing your practice surface area
12 hours ago
- #practice
- #mastery
- #performance
- The difference between being good and great lies in 'practice surface area'—the hidden, continuous practice integrated into daily life.
- Sofia Polgar's chess success was fueled by both formal training and countless informal practice sessions, like late-night chess in the bathroom.
- Elite performers like George Orwell, Richard Feynman, and Bobby Fischer expanded their practice surface area by integrating their craft into everyday moments.
- Orwell practiced descriptive prose mentally for years, Feynman taught imaginary students, and Fischer analyzed chess positions in idle moments.
- To increase practice surface area: identify minimal practice units, use dead time for visualization, layer craft onto daily tasks, and develop automatic mental habits.
- Examples include Michael Phelps' mental race rehearsals, Maya Angelou composing poems while mopping, and Eminem's constant rhyming.
- Constraints can spur innovation, like Anderson Silva practicing combat moves disguised as dancing.