Greasing the Groove

If there’s a skill you want to acquire or an area you want to develop, practice is going to be essential. But practicing haphazardly won’t do. The key is to practice intentionally and repeatedly. Especially when just starting out. If you’re learning something entirely new, it will take some time for your body and mind to stretch and adapt.

One approach to help put in the time necessary to start seeing growth is to start with small goals that are imminently achievable — things that aren’t going to intimidate you from even getting started. If I’m setting out to learn a new language, or to run a 10k, and in my excitement I get too ambitious, like committing to train for two hours a day, soon there will be a day where I don’t feel like it, or I don’t have the time, and I’ll skip. And unfortunately, not only will I feel like a failure, the more I skip, the easier it is to do the same the following day. Better to start low, get small wins, and stay consistent, than to shoot to high, and not make it out of the gate.

One strategy that some people use to do this is called “greasing the groove.” It’s simply picking a specific exercise or drill and then doing small doses of it throughout the day. The small doses are doable, and don’t provide enough resistance to keep you from getting started. And because you repeat them numerous times through the day, your body or mind slowly adapt and grow.

I’ve seen this strategy recommended in areas like exercise — like doing smaller sets of pull-ups and pushups several times over the course of a day — but the same principle could be used applied to all kinds of areas — like studying, or learning a language, or practicing mindfulness. Essentially, it’s choosing to practice what you want to grow in, and doing so repeatedly. You’re “greasing the groove” — eliminating the resistance that keeps you from getting started, as well as helping the body and mind adapt to this new area you’re working on. And in time, this new skill or task will become more natural, with the increased repetition leading to further growth.

Now, depending on what you’re trying to develop, the small doses you start with may only get you so far. Eventually, without changing the routine, your growth will eventually plateau. And that’s OK. Greasing the groove is just one technique that can be helpful, especially early on when you’re just starting out. The key is if you want to get better as something, you’re going to need to practice. And this is one approach to help you get more practice.

So, if there’s something you to grow in, what would it look like to begin practicing in small ways, and to do so more more often? Some areas will be easier to do this than others, but whatever the area, the more intentional practice you’re able to log, the better off you’ll be.