Expertise, it seems to me, is built on repetition.
I was introduced to someone the other day. I didn't think much of the person's name at the time. A couple of days later, I saw that person again and tried to quickly remember the name. It came at the last second. I repeated it as I walked away and I realized that by making a mental note the third time, I would probably remember the name. One might not be viewed as an 'expert', if he or she remembers people's names, but we do admire people who can do it well.
The more I thought about it, the more this technique seemed true in other areas as well. Finding ways to repeat things, helps me learn. The things I do over and over are things I become pretty good at. Experts, in fact, seem to be those who have done something or looked at something enough that they seem to understand it or do it very well.
Some examples come to mind: studying for a test, learning to ride horses or a bike, learning a language, scientists who pour over data again and again, athletes who perfect their skill, becoming a musician or a great cook or a writer, counselors who listen to many people, etc. all use repetition.
At some level, this observation doesn't seem all the revolutionary. Perhaps it's not. But, in our culture, we often think of repetitive things as boring or that we want something new or different. The real 'perhaps', however, might be that it is through repetition that we truly become able to learn something deeply, out of which we can then offer something of significance to another.
Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.
-- Winston Churchill
