Part 5/12:
Delving deeper into personal improvement, Duckworth differentiates between "deliberate practice" and "undirected practice." She references her conversations with Anders Ericsson, a leading expert on expert performance, to explain that deliberate practice involves intentional, focused effort aimed at specific skills, coupled with immediate feedback and reflection. This contrasts sharply with simply logging hours in an activity without clear objectives or feedback, which she refers to as "junk miles" in running. As Duckworth illustrates with her own experiences in running, it’s critical to be mindful and purposeful in practice to achieve tangible progress.