Quality vs. Quantity
Practice daily, because the quality of your practice determines the caliber of your performance.
TIP #14 TAKE OFF YOUR WATCH
Deep practice is not measured in minutes or hours, but in the number of high-quality reaches and repetitions you make—basically, how many new connections you form in your brain. Instead of counting minutes or hours, count reaches and reps. Instead of saying, “I’m going to practice piano for twenty minutes,” tell yourself, “I’m going to do five intensive reps of that new song.” Instead of planning to hit golf balls for an hour, plan to make twenty-five quality swings with each club. Instead of reading over that textbook for an hour, make flash cards and grade yourself on your efforts. Ignore the clock and get to the sweet spot, even if it’s only for a few minutes, and measure your progress by what counts: reaches and reps.
PLANNING: I'm sure only a few of you have kept up writing out your weekly schedules. To those of you who have, congratulations. You have shown your coaches that you are serious about making progress. Keep the above tip in mind when writing out your schedules. The key phrase is "Reaches and Reps." Designate how many quality reps you want to make and track if you have hit close to the sweet spot with your attempts.
TRACKING: Make sure you are tracking the quality of your attempts and not just the quantity of your attempts. Often times, skaters will assess the quality of a jump with one thing in mind: "Did I land it?" If the answer is no, then they have failed in the endeavor. If the answer is yes, then they have succeeded. This approach completely undermines a growth mindset. Instead, step back and adjust your perspective on practice. Rome wasn't built in a day, but they were laying brick by brick every hour. Instead of evaluating your jumps by the landing alone, keep track of the chunks! Direction, Position, Timing, Flow, Tension, Space, Attack, Check. With so many skills to master, you can see how silly it is to measure your jump success by whether you merely stand up or fall. Aim for your target, and savor the moments when you close in on your goal. Remember that quality of evaluation is just as essential as quality of effort.