A year and 51 days: this is the amount of time that the famous “10,000-hour rule” mentions in order to gain a total expertise in the skill you want to improve. As we can see from this 10,000 hour and numerous other researches on how long it takes to acquire a new skill, there has been a big significance put on the act of practicing. Along with this, there has also been an ongoing debate on whether practice does make perfect or not.

I personally believe that practice does make perfect. But I do not believe that such an absolute state like perfect exists. To me, perfect is an unreachable level where you have fully mastered a certain skill without any mistakes and there is no more room for further improvement. I truly believe that there is no end to improving your skills, as any skill can always become better, more refined, and eventually reach a higher level of expertise. But relating it to the quote “practice makes perfect,” I consider perfect as one being a professional with a certain set of skills but also being able to improve. In that sense, I agree that practice does make perfect.

As an example, Olympic athletes are seen as people who are tremendously talented and have a skill that is way above that of an average human. Although their genetics obviously play a big role in their exceptional performance, the amount of time they invest in training also heavily influences their physical ability: athletes train as early as even before their adolescent years and spend not only days, weeks, and months but years constantly training. Even after winning numerous medals and reaching a state that is somewhat near perfect, they still spend the majority of their time maintaining and improving their skill by training. Athletes like these who have the highest physical strength and are even viewed as an epitome of human performance still invest a large amount of time into practicing. This clearly explains that the amount of time you practice never betrays you and leads you to a certain degree close to being perfect.

An important factor that people do not realize when practicing is the method they use. When people think of practicing, they often imagine doing the same task over and over again until they have it memorized. Simply repeating a task makes it become automatic; what’s more important is to self-reflect and always be open to criticisms. Repeating the same routine will not lead to improvement; instead, getting out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself is what will eventually help build on your set of skills.

In fact, athletes tend to have coaches or mentors who frequently provide feedback and instructions to better the performance of the athletes. This provides a direction for the athletes and a clear understanding of what they have to improve on. It also creates a challenge for them, which allows them to be more engaging and willing to practice. In essence, the method of training is as important as, or even more important than, the amount of time spent in practicing when it comes to improvements.

I believe that practice is a crucial factor in one’s life. In order to learn and acquire a new skill, practice is necessary. Even when you have mastered a certain skill, in order to improve and maintain your set of skills, practice is needed. In conclusion, I believe that practice is the key that will eventually lead you to a certain level close to being perfect.

About the Author

Born in South Korea and raised in Myanmar, Soo Ah is a junior at the School of Art and Design in Korea University.