The Art Of Practice: Same Effort, Twice The Progress, Any Skill

by Laido Dittmar

"WHY IS IT THAT SOME PEOPLE PROGRESS IMMENSELY FASTER VS. THE MAJORITY?"The majority, often even with hard practice, can't get half as much done, not even in twice the time, or worse, with no progress at all…...Now, whatever physical skill you want to drastically improve, like mastering a sport, dancing, or playing an instrument... you’ve probably asked yourself that question.And you might be at a point knowing already that hard work alone and simply doubling your efforts in practice won't necessarily bring you the results you're after.If that’s you...I'm Laido, a Cirque du Soleil performer, author & peak performance coach.And after practicing my own skill for approximately 20,000 hours, and more than a decade of experimentation, coaching, and research, I can tell you…The reason why some people improve so much faster in a skill has a lot less to do with "HOW HARD" they practice, but much more with "HOW" THEY PRACTICE.It’s imperative to understand that behind every accomplishment, behind every success, is a process...And by understanding that process, you obviously could have more control over the outcome, right?Yet, most people spend 95% of their energy and attention working solely on their outer game, their outer execution.They think about the how high they should be, how low or how fast, etc., and though it’s true these things are very important, they are all merely just an effect of whatever system of practicing they use in order to progress…If you practice anything a certain way, whether consciously or unconsciously, it’s because you think that’s probably the best way and the way it should be done, but "you don't know what you don't know"...Some people have better systems, and some have less effective ones...And those without a real strategy of what works, whenever they ask themselves how to achieve twice the amount of results, the only strategy they can think of is to do twice the amount of work.So, my question to you How much effort are YOU putting into improving your 'practice strategy'?Are you just focusing your entire attention on 95% of how high, low, narrow, or wide your movements should be? Or are you actually improving the "HOW" of your practice...That could create a real difference in your results and understanding of your training.Now, having mentored a lot of practitioners over the years, I helped competitors, athletes, musicians and many other practitioners with the most diverse set of skills and I've learned that we are only 3-5 subtle changes away from reaching the progress and the results we want, or not even coming close to them...And if you would like to discover a step-by-step method on exactly that...Then “THE ART OF PRACTICE” was written for YOU.This book contains some of the best philosophies, ideas, and beliefs I've discovered in 10+ years of research about how to progress the fastest way in whatever physical skill through..."PRACTICE STRATEGY TRAINING".So, if you’re ready to drastically improve your abilities, or if you feel stuck at your current skill level without making any significant progress... Feeling you might have reached a plateau that seems impossible to overcome...If you’d like your progress immensely-Get results guaranteed faster, smoother & easier-Perfect your practice knowledge with a method that I can guarantee is unique in the world-Get

156 pages, Hardcover

Published April 23, 2024

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say that only pp. 57-115 were good and thought-provoking. I appreciate the ideas put forth in those page and will rearrange my practices in accordance with them to see if I progress as predicted. That being said, the rest of the book was fluff, self-promoting, and poorly edited. For instance, p. 122 and p. 126 had the same verbatim paragraphs.

I think the next edition of this book should get rid of all the fluff and self-promotion. The author could give more specific examples of accelerated skill mastery from his practice method. I understand the use of the practice method in learning a musical instrument and sports, but how is it applied in writing a book or learning a foreign language? Also, how do you layer skill progression for something relatively basic like running or long jump?

All in all, I do recommend the book for its core premise. It needs more polishing, but the avid reader can definitely find the book’s value.

The book is a quick read and I finished in three sittings.

[Dima · Rating 1 out of 5]

The whole book could be summarized in one sentence: “Practice new skills first in your session and once you reach 90% mastery, move on to the next skill.” That’s it. The rest is just fluff and self-promotion. Waste of money.

[Becky L Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not on audio had to resort to Kindle edition. Loved an interview I saw with the author on YouTube but he pretty much covered the important bits in the interview. I was hoping for a bit more in depth information by bothering to read the book. It's a good book but it's 1 part Biography 1 part practice new skills first and don't waste time on routine and 1 part advertisement for his master class. I would recommend Scott H Young How To Get Better At Anything if you are looking for actionable steps.

[Glick · Rating 1 out of 5]

So much filler (and an obvious need of an editor) makes this book a waste. The ideas could have been summed up in five pages, but the author prefers repeating the same thing 100 times.

[Arun Verma · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚 An insightful guidebook to practice in right way.

The book is a deeply personal and comprehensive guide to mastering any skill. Through his honest account of struggles with ineffective practice and slow progress, he offers readers practical solutions derived from his decade-long journey of discovery.

The book reveals a structured approach, divided into three main parts: Introduction, My Story, and Progress Hacking the "Natural’s Method."  The core section, Progress Hacking the "Natural’s Method," outlines specific techniques and theories Dittmar discovered, covering aspects from mindset and motivation to practical strategies like the "2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back" approach.

Strengths of the book lies in the author’s relatable journey and a well-organized structure. His narrative style and personal anecdotes add inspiration and practical insights, while the structured layout makes the content easy to follow and apply.

What I learned from this book is that to get better and keep your skills sharp, you should push yourself to try harder things instead of just sticking to your usual routines. When you challenge yourself, it actually makes your regular skills stronger and more consistent. So, don’t be afraid to go beyond your comfort zone—you’ll improve a lot more this way.

Overall, the book is a valuable resource for anyone committed to improving their skills, offering motivation and practical guidance. It is a useful read for anyone seeking to optimize their practice time, increase productivity, and achieve mastery in their chosen field.

[George · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's completely not worth it.

The author spends most of the book with filler sentences, repeating the same things to exhaustion, and trying to convince you why you should believe them.

The only "advice" given in the book was basically to practice the things that are harder for you first, instead of repeating stuff you already know, and then when you reach 90% performance on a skill, move to a more difficult one.

If you want to learn more, you'd have to subscribe to the author's course and buy more stuff from him.

Overall this feels like a self-publication having as an only goal to advertise the author to the public so that they can get more clients on their programs.

This really pissed me off because I'm constantly trying to find ways to improve my practice and had high hopes for this book and was very disappointed.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ideas in this book are extremely worthwhile for any individual looking to make significant progress in their mastery of a skill. One might criticize the language/editing but I personally found the prose to be charming, authentic, and part of the author's unique character and background. The bottom line is that I came away with very practical and implementable advice that I am determined to use in my practice moving forward.

[diego · Rating 5 out of 5]

its just a door

Laido opens us just a door, and show us just few things of a big world about practice. It’s ok, maybe, in my opinion, the book should reflects all the blueprint master course that he offers as a complement and deepening of this great book.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s a scam.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main point could have been made in an essay. I love Laido's passion!