3 Steps I Use To Master ANY Skill FASTER (backed by science)

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Ever felt like you’re on the brink of greatness, but something is holding you back?

It’s that nagging feeling that there’s a gap between where you are and where you want to be.

What if I told you…

The key to closing that gap is in how you practice, not just how hard you work?

This week, I’m diving into the transformative power of deliberate practice—the strategy that separates the good from the truly exceptional.

Ready to be exceptional?

Let’s go.

This Week’s ABC…

• Advice of the Week - How I use deliberate practice to progress faster than others at mastering any skill.
• Breakthrough Recommendation - Explore the book that taught me deliberate practice, which is the ultimate guide to achieving excellence.
• Challenge - Start your journey of deliberate practice with one small, focused action.

Advice of the Week: Master Any Skill with Deliberate Practice

Life Lesson

When I was in 8th grade, I started playing basketball.

I loved it, and decided I would try to make the team in the 9th grade.

I didn’t make it… I was devastated.

But it made sense: I had no jumpshot, and my endurance was terrible.

I asked the coach if I could be the ball boy. Other people thought that would be embarrassing—and honestly I didn’t care.

I wanted to be around organized basketball and understand what practicing really meant.

Before school, I would wake up at 5 AM and practice for a couple hours.

After school, I would practice for another few hours.

I would run liners by myself like a crazy kid, to improve my endurance.

I watched videos of NBA players and how they practiced.

I tried replicating their moves—their shooting form, their crossovers.

I did this everyday for a year.

The next year in 10th grade, I not only made the team…

I started.

I became one of the best 3 point shooters on the team.

All from having no jumpshot and no endurance.

Years later, I realized why I got so much better so fast: deliberate practice.

I never made the NBA—I blame my asian parents for forcing me down the typical engineer/doctor path. (JK mom and dad)

But this experience taught me that I could be complete trash at a skill, and through intentionally working hard—I could succeed.

I never thought I was very smart, or good at anything.

But damned if my parents didn’t teach me how to work hard.

That was my only skill and I latched onto it for dear life.

I still do today, in everything I apply myself to.

For years, I thought talent was the secret to greatness.

Then, I discovered deliberate practice by accident through basketball, and my perspective changed completely.

Talent might give you a head start, but deliberate practice is what makes you unstoppable.

Putting in the hours is very important—and it’s also about how you use those hours to push your limits and improve intentionally.

That’s what this week’s breakthrough is about.

Breakthrough Recommendation: "Peak" by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool

If you want to dive deep into the science of mastering any skill, "Peak" by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool is the book you need.

Ericsson’s research on deliberate practice is groundbreaking, and his book is empowering.

He reveals how experts in every field—from chess grandmasters to elite athletes—use specific, structured practice methods to reach the top.

He shows that the human brain is highly adaptable.

Our brains are capable of forming new neural connections and pathways (skills and skill effectiveness) throughout life—given the right practice, deliberate practice!

It’s not about practicing more; it’s about practicing smarter.

3 Types of Practice

The book talks about 3 types of practice that people engage in.

1. Naive Practice: Simply repeating an activity with little improvement.
2. Purposeful Practice: More structured, with specific goals and feedback, but still limited.
3. Deliberate Practice: The most effective form, characterized by…

Further, the book gives you a simple framework for deliberate practice.

Interested in learning more on how to master your skills?

Read the rest of the newsletter on my main publication (for free). It would help me (and you) a lot!

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