Accidental Practice

Anything you do often, you get better at. You are an optimization machine.

Accidental Practice


We normally think of the word practice to mean something that we are doing intentionally and directionally. But anything you do often, you will get better at.

By better sometimes it means:

  • it becomes easier to do.
  • you become more efficient at it.
  • you become more skilled.
  • you are more likely to do it versus an alternative.

This happens not just for things that you are trying to improve intentionally, but for anything you do often.

If you use humor to lighten the mood in tense situations, you be more likely to do this again and again. You might have trouble recognizing truly serious situations.

If you avoid challenging situations, you will get better and better at this until you no longer see them or they don't even seem possible.

A tendency to deflect compliments that springs from true humility can turn into doubt.

Careful what you do often; you will get better at it.