Practice Makes Permanent: How Repetition Shapes Mastery and Lasting Change

September 15, 2025

We’ve all heard the age-old saying, “Practice makes perfect.”

It’s drilled into us from childhood through school, sports, and work. But let’s be honest, perfection is a myth. In reality, striving for perfection can lead to procrastination, frustration, and burnout.

What we should really be aiming for is not perfection, but permanence. “Practice makes permanent” is a far more accurate and empowering mantra.

Why?

Because what you practise, repeatedly and consistently, becomes ingrained. Whether it's a good habit, a skill, or even a limiting belief, repetition is what sets it in stone. With time and effort, you can train yourself to build positive routines, sharpen your skills, and reach a level of mastery where tasks become second nature.

This concept is known as “Unconscious Competence”, performing a task so well and so often that you no longer need to think about it.

Understanding Unconscious Competence Unconscious competence is the fourth and final stage of the learning model, following:

Unconscious Incompetence – You don’t know what you don’t know. Conscious Incompetence – You know what you don’t know. Conscious Competence – You know it and can do it, but it takes effort. Unconscious Competence – You know it so well, you do it without thinking.

Take learning to drive a car, for example. At first, you’re hyper-aware of every control: clutch, gears, mirrors, pedals.

It feels overwhelming. But with practice, those movements become fluid. Eventually, you drive to your destination and realise you don’t even remember the journey.

That’s unconscious competence in action.

Repetition Builds Habits When you practise a behaviour repeatedly, it forms neural pathways in the brain. These become stronger with consistent use, making the action more automatic.

This is the foundation of habit formation. Whether it’s brushing your teeth, exercising, or answering emails in the morning, repeated behaviours become habits.

The commonly cited timeframe to build a habit is 21 days. But a 2009 study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology found that it actually varies greatly, anywhere from 18 to 254 days.

On average, it takes around 66 days for a behaviour to become automatic.

So, if you’ve been beating yourself up because you haven’t cemented a new habit in three weeks, give yourself some grace. Habit-building is a marathon, not a sprint.

The Power of Practice in Skill Development Practice doesn't just create habits, it creates mastery. Whether you're learning a new language, training for a marathon, or building a business, consistent practice helps you improve.

Even world-class athletes and musicians rehearse relentlessly to maintain their edge. They understand that excellence comes not from one-off efforts, but from repeated, intentional action.

This brings us to a key point: quality matters.

Mindless repetition won’t help you grow. You must practise the right way. This is where coaching, feedback, and reflection come into play. Practice only makes permanent, so if you’re practising poor form, you’re reinforcing the wrong habits.

How to Create Lasting Habits Creating permanent positive habits and mastering new skills requires more than just repetition. Here are three powerful strategies to help you on your journey:

1. Don’t Give Up Persistence is key. There will be days when you don’t feel motivated. You might fall off track or struggle with self-doubt. Push through. Growth happens in those difficult moments. The early days of forming a new habit are the hardest. Stick with it and you’ll see progress.

2. Stay Positive Maintaining a positive mindset can make all the difference. When you hit roadblocks (and you will), focus on how far you’ve come instead of how far you have to go. Celebrate the small wins. Positivity fuels motivation.

3. Be Accountable Share your goals with someone you trust. Accountability partners can keep you focused and on track. It’s easy to let yourself off the hook when no one’s watching. But when someone else is rooting for you, you’re more likely to show up.

From Conscious to Unconscious: The Learning Curve Initially, every new skill demands your full attention. But over time, as you build competence, the mental load decreases. Eventually, you stop thinking and just do.

This is why surgeons can perform complex procedures or musicians can play flawlessly, their mastery is rooted in practice.

But remember: this applies to everything you practise.

If you repeatedly tell yourself "I'm not good enough," you'll start believing it. If you continually skip the gym, that becomes your norm.

That’s why awareness is crucial. Make sure what you’re practising aligns with who you want to become.

Practise with Purpose It’s not enough to go through the motions. Intentional practice, sometimes called “deliberate practice", involves goal-setting, feedback, and focus. It’s about constantly challenging yourself just beyond your current abilities.

Think about Olympic athletes. They don’t just train harder, they train smarter. They identify weaknesses, track performance, and make adjustments. Apply the same strategy to your own life and business.

Final Thoughts: Day One or One Day? Everyone wants to improve something, whether it’s fitness, business, confidence, or relationships.

The key to real, lasting change isn’t perfection. It’s consistency.

What you do every day becomes what you master. Whether you're forming a new habit or building a new skill, remember that every small action counts.

So, the question is: will today be "Day One" or just another "one day"?

Start now.

Practise with purpose.

Persist through challenges.

And watch as the life you’ve imagined becomes your reality, one step, one action, one repetition at a time.

Because practice makes permanent.

I hope this has inspired you to reflect on your habits, examine your practices, and take positive steps towards lasting mastery.

You already have everything you need within you to start. Let today be the day.