I love learning. It often involves looking for new sources of information to drink from. There is an exhilaration from discovering the untapped land of knowledge and a rush from venturing through it.
Yet to my recent surprise I discovered that the once topic of my disdain, repetition, is an equally great teacher. Through the integration of a few daily practices I have found them to be a profound source of satisfaction. Repetition is the king of compounding effects. Inches accumulated over time paves major new thoroughfares.
Doing a thing, whether it is a movement, technique, or habit, over and over again yields insights and opens up new areas of exploration. Maybe it is the small adjustments that repetition demands, the continual solving of micro problems, or simply the comfort of familiarity that frees the mind to wander. Whatever the reason, repetition fosters mastery and creativity.
It’s very hard to do a thing over and over without becoming skilled or without eventually getting inventive. Moreover, this knowledge can only be gained through repetition. The insights are embodied and ingrained in the motion–not something one can read or listen to.
I used to dread practice. Now, I look forward to it.