(Deliberate) practice makes perfect: how to become an expert in anything

Typically, repeated practice takes us up to a medium level of success. After an initial spike, progress stalls, plateaus — then grinds to a halt. Because when you reach an average level of competence, your ability stops being a work-in-progress and starts being a reflex. That’s why repeating a skill regularly over many years alone — cooking, driving, exercising — doesn’t lead to expertise. You’re maintaining a skill, not building on it.