How To Make Big Gains By Focusing On Small Things

By now, you’ve probably heard about deliberate practice and the famed “10,000 Hour Rule.”

If not, it’s an idea developed by K. Anders Ericsson and popularized by mega-bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell; the idea is that a significant amount of world-class performers’ success was their commitment to attaining more than 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. 

Since the idea was popularized, it’s been (very rightly) attacked for various flaws. Some critics say 10,000 hours is too simple. Others say deliberate practice overlooks the role of inherent traits.

Much of this debate focuses on trivial elements like how much practice is needed and whether practice actually makes perfect, and that’s a shame. 

Sadly, almost all the debate around how correct the theory is, overlooks a core element of Ericsson’s original thesis—an element that holds the key to making performance gains for all of us.

At its core, deliberate practice isn’t about racking up hours or “putting in the reps.” It’s about focusing on the small things.

Breaking Down Performance Into Small Chunks

Ericsson was quick to point out that the world-class performers he studied consistently broke down their performance into small chunks—the smallest elements possible. If it were violinists, they’d focus on specific transitions between notes. If it were golfers, they’d focus on specific sections of the swing—movement of the hips or amount of flexion in the wrist.

I’ve put this into practice myself. One of my primary activities these days is giving keynote speeches. But to “become a better speaker” is far too big of a goal to focus on. So, I’ve focused instead on small chunks—little improvements that I can make each time. 

At first, it was getting comfortable with taking longer pauses, then removing vocal fillers (ums and ahs), and then moving around the stage more deliberately. Each time I practice, I’m running through the big thing—the speech—but my mind is focused on the small things and making small improvements.

Why Focus on Small Things?

This commitment to small things matters because of a tendency of our brains when we practice. The brain tends to transform repetitive motions into automatic habits to conserve energy and processing power. 

If you’re practicing poorly, the flaws in your motion get automated as well. Only by slowing down and focusing on small things can your brain re-write its encoding—deleting the wrong motions and automating the right ones.

At first, these small changes seem like small changes, but they add up. Small changes become big improvements when focused on intently and practiced deliberately.

Small Changes in Learning

When you focus on specific skills or actions and practice them, your brain forms neural connections with them. 

When you break down large tasks into smaller or digestible pieces, you can focus on perfecting each little aspect of them. Your brain is better able to pay attention, leading to significant improvements in the long term. This is why our well-known performers, musicians, and other professionals target the minor components of their skills, which is how they make noticeable progress in their field.

How to Identify Small Things Worth Focusing On

Focusing on small things is powerful, but the challenge is knowing which small things to focus on. You need to do an overall assessment of your current tasks and performance, and then you need to find areas that need improvement. 

Is it a particular action habit or skill that consistently leads to problems or other inefficiencies? Where is the actual problem? For instance, if you struggle with taking notes in class or cannot enter and process information, you need to focus your practice efforts there.

Take feedback from your immediate senior experts or peers and look into these areas. You never know when they will find areas you need to work on that you otherwise might miss. 

Once you know these areas, prioritize them and work on them in isolation. Whether you are refining your handwriting or posture or working on meditation and breathing, focus on these actionable areas, and then you will see progress. If you try to take on everything at once, that will only make it harder to succeed.

The Role of Feedback in Perfecting Small Changes

Feedback is an important part of practice when you focus on small improvements. Without feedback, it is hard to see whether you are progressing or reinforcing the bad actions. 

Feedback will be your guide in helping you refine your approach. You need leaders and coaches for that, or you can also look into peer feedback, which may help you find those areas where you need improvement. If you are not comfortable with taking others’ feedback, then focus on your own performance. 

Make a video or look in the mirror and see where you need to improve.

However, do not completely forget feedback. Instead, take it as an opportunity to improve yourself.

When your skills improve, you will be better able to focus on the adjustments only and wait for the results.

Wrap Up

Remember, you can only make big gains if you are consistent. If you spend hours of work constantly improving the small parts of the whole task, it will be more durable and relieve your stress.

So, you need to shift your focus instead of looking at the grand end goal, work on the tiny transitions, and make subtle adjustments to achieve perfection.

Whether you are working on your handwriting, typing, golf swing, or public speaking skills, progress will not come when you take the first swing. It comes with the intention to learn and improve when you dedicate yourself to the small parts of the big picture.

This way, you will set yourself up on the path to success.