My mother can practically bake a killer apple tart in her sleep. It’s a skill she’s learned over decades of trial and error. We hone any skill by doing. We get better by practising and observing, then reflecting and iterating.

The doctor perfects her bedside manner by reflecting on how a consultation went.

The salesperson gets better at closing deals by assessing what did or didn’t work on his last sales call.

The speaker improves by noticing how the audience reacts and thinking about how she could get more engagement during her next talk.

Practice alone won’t make us perfect. Progress happens when we make time for thinking as well as doing.

Image by Jessica Fiess Hill