The Difference Between Mastery and Muscle Memory
Sometimes I get tired of feeling like a constant beginner.
Malcomb Gladwell's simplistic use of the "10,000 hours rule" has been proven wrong. You can't simply do a thing for a really long time and expect to become a master.
Mastery is about beginning again. And again. And again.
Muscle memory is important to some things. But muscle memory will not make you a master.
Muscle memory can also lead to mistakes.
I can drive to the grocery store on muscle memory. That doesn't make me a great driver. It just means I drive to the store a lot. The same is true for guitar chords. I can play an F#m on the guitar from muscle memory. Every string sings. But there are very few compositions played with one chord.
The human brain, as it's connected to the human body, is a complicated thing of beauty and wonder. Mastery is not about practice. Mastery is about perfect practice. Practice that makes you a constant beginner because you're trying new things.
Considering new angles.
Stretching muscles past muscle memory.
Get feedback soon and often.
Become a teacher of what you're learning, even at a basic level.
The road to mastery isn't easy, nor is it straight.
