The Value of Repetition
The activity of riding a bicycle might seem quite simple when thinking about it as an adult. But if you had to go back to your childhood and carefully observe your younger self, you would notice the technical complexity required to do this task.
Imagine if someone sat you down and gave you a lecture with diagrams and graphs to teach you how to ride a bicycle. This probably wouldn’t produce any positive results. We all know it’s better to watch someone and copy exactly what they are doing. Learning through practice and repetition will always be the most effective way to learn a skill. Whether it’s playing an instrument, computer programming or speaking a foreign language.
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Repetition is essential in sharpening that skill and reaching a mental state whereby you can practice for longer and reaching a higher level. However, the biggest enemy to repetition is boredom. Our inability to overcome the negative feelings of doubt, insecurity and no motivation hinder the process of skill acquisition.
The Japanese have a term “Shokunin” which is defined as the ‘craftsman.’ This term goes a little deeper than the literal meaning. Shokunin isn’t only about technical skills, but also about the attitude and social consciousness of the individual. The Shokunin has a social responsibility to society to do his work for the general welfare of society. This responsibly is both spiritual and material. In other words you have to learn to do your work perfectly without any reservations.
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Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a documentary which closely looks at the value of repetition. It follows an old Sushi Master around his restaurant to find out why his restaurant is rated the best in the world and the winner of multiple Michelin stars. Jiru says, “It’s just about making an effort and repeating the same thing everyday.”
This sounds simple on the surface, but simplicity is the difficulty. Doing something over and over requires a monk like discipline which most people are unable to sustain. To prove my point try to sit down for a few minutes to meditate, repeat this activity everyday for the whole year and you will get the idea why repetition is a struggle. Our brains are in constant need of novelty, that’s why social networks won’t be disappearing anytime soon, they tap into this primal human instinct of instant gratification.
One of the reasons most people find themselves unprepared for the demands of work life is due to formal education. Formal education instills a passive mode within individuals which is incompatible with the reality of life. Jiru is the perfect example of learning by doing. In the Documentary we watch how his proteges go through painful, repetitive work in acquiring the essential skills of Mastery.
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Formal education denies us the opportunity to practice, mastery is acquired through thousands of hours of practice. It’s only through this endless labour that we are able to perform at the highest level.
Our brains are made to learn through constant repetition, it’s only through this type of practice that we are able to pick up a skill. Ralph Waldo Emerson eloquently said, “That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased.”
So whether you are learning a new language, taking up a new sport or learning a new instrument. Persistence is your greatest asset, the only thing you need to do is “NOT QUIT.”
