0:00:07.990,0:00:10.191
Mastering any physical skill,

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be it performing a pirouette,

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playing an instrument,

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or throwing a baseball,

0:00:14.671,0:00:16.100
takes practice.

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Practice is the repetition of an action[br]with the goal of improvement,

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and it helps us perform with more ease,[br]speed, and confidence.

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So what does practice do in our brains[br]to make us better at things?

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Our brains have two kinds [br]of neural tissue:

0:00:32.550,0:00:33.443
grey matter

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and white matter.

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The grey matter processes information[br]in the brain,

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directing signals and sensory stimuli[br]to nerve cells,

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while white matter is mostly made up[br]of fatty tissue and nerve fibers.

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In order for our bodies to move,

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information needs to travel from[br]the brain's grey matter,

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down the spinal cord,

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through a chain of nerve fibers[br]called axons

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to our muscles.

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So how does practice or repetition[br]affect the inner workings of our brains?

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The axons that exist in the white matter

0:01:06.262,0:01:09.262
are wrapped with a fatty substance[br]called myelin.

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And it's this myelin covering, or sheath,[br]that seems to change with practice.

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Myelin is similar to insulation[br]on electrical cables.

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It prevents energy loss from electrical[br]signals that the brain uses,

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moving them more efficiently[br]along neural pathways.

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Some recent studies in mice suggest[br]that the repetition of a physical motion

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increases the layers of myelin sheath[br]that insulates the axons.

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And the more layers, the greater[br]the insulation around the axon chains,

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forming a sort of superhighway[br]for information

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connecting your brain to your muscles.

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So while many athletes and performers

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attribute their successes [br]to muscle memory,

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muscles themselves [br]don't really have memory.

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Rather, it may be the myelination[br]of neural pathways

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that gives these athletes [br]and performers their edge

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with faster and more efficient [br]neural pathways.

0:02:04.743,0:02:06.593
There are many theories that attempt

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to quantify the number of hours,[br]days, and even years of practice

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that it takes to master a skill.

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While we don't yet have a magic number,

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we do know that mastery isn't simply about[br]the amount of hours of practice.

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It's also the quality and effectiveness[br]of that practice.

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Effective practice is consistent,

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intensely focused,

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and targets content or weaknesses

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that lie at the edge [br]of one's current abilities.

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So if effective practice is the key,

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how can we get the most [br]out of our practice time?

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Try these tips.

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Focus on the task at hand.

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Minimize potential distractions by turning[br]off the computer or TV

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and putting your cell phone [br]on airplane mode.

0:02:49.844,0:02:54.304
In one study, researchers observed 260[br]students studying.

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On average,

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those students were able to stay [br]on task for only six minutes at a time.

0:03:00.275,0:03:03.155
Laptops, smartphones, [br]and particularly Facebook

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were the root of most distractions.

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Start out slowly or in slow-motion.

0:03:07.855,0:03:12.865
Coordination is built with repetitions,[br]whether correct or incorrect.

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If you gradually increase the speed[br]of the quality repetitons,

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you have a better chance [br]of doing them correctly.

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Next, frequent repetitions with allotted[br]breaks are common practice habits

0:03:23.796,0:03:26.186
of elite performers.

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Studies have shown that many top athletes,[br]musicians, and dancers

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spend 50-60 hours per week on activities[br]related to their craft.

0:03:34.816,0:03:37.637
Many divide their time [br]used for effective practice

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into multiple daily practice sessions[br]of limited duration.

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And finally, practice in your brain[br]in vivid detail.

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It's a bit surprising, but a number[br]of studies suggest

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that once a physical motion [br]has been established,

0:03:50.898,0:03:54.304
it can be reinforced [br]just by imagining it.

0:03:54.304,0:03:59.917
In one study, 144 basketball players[br]were divided into two groups.

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Group A physically practiced [br]one-handed free throws

0:04:03.577,0:04:06.977
while Group B only [br]mentally practiced them.

0:04:06.977,0:04:09.816
When they were tested at the end[br]of the two week experiment,

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the intermediate and experienced[br]players in both groups

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had improved by nearly the same amount.

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As scientists get closer to unraveling[br]the secrets of our brains,

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our understanding of effective practice[br]will only improve.

0:04:24.458,0:04:27.788
In the meantime, effective practice[br]is the best way we have

0:04:27.788,0:04:29.698
of pushing our individual limits,

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achieving new heights,

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and maximizing our potential.