The power of repeating basics is something that is very much appreciated by professionals and in the same time very much underestimated by amateurs. In martial arts, for example, masters of the skill spend years practicing basic movements in order to acquire them in their subconscious and get them to become a natural part of their bodies and minds. In many other areas of learning, going over the basics more than once reveals new layers of understanding. The reasoning behind it is very simple.

Repeating the same ideas over and over reveals new dimensions of the same idea, as well as the ability to observe it from different angles and to understand it from different perspectives. In the words of Bob Proctor, if you read the same book over and over, you will unveil something new that was not there before, not in the book, but within yourself.

The other reason for that is that mastery of anything requires us to have a good foundation before we can move to more complex movements, or ideas. Every painting, no matter how complex, consists of many basic brush strokes, the mastery lies within understanding and application of basics. Every martial arts technique consists of only a few basic movements and strikes, the complexity lies within a combination of basic elements. But every combination requires a deep understanding of… basics.

In the end, true mastery does not mean copying the work of others. It is about learning the basics to the point of becoming what you learn. Only then will you be able to produce complex work and make it new mastery. Remember the advertisement for a watch that said: “in order to break the rules, you must first master them.” This is 100% true. Only once the basic form is understood can you the various elements and create your own masterpiece, which won’t be fake but based on firm principles.

There is no place for ego in this process. Keep repeating and re-learning. You might discover yourself in ways you never imagined.