Training plateaus: what do YOU do about them??

[exile]

I recently broke through a training plateau that I hadn't really realized I was on—I just assumed that because of my age and maybe some skeletal/muscular idiosyncrasy, there were certain things I just was never going to be able to do; and then I found myself able to do them. It wasn't accidental, I'd been working on them for a long time, but nothing, nothing, nothing... and then, bang, there it was.

So I've been able to reset my training goals now; but it started me wondering: what do people do about training plateaus? Everything I've ever learned, physical or intellectual or some combination of the two, has involved plateaus, and I'm pretty sure that most people experience them. What I'm curious about is:

• How do you recognize that you're stuck on a plateau?

• When you recognize that you are, what do you do in response? (E.g., do you go full bore at whatever it is you're blocked on, do you just figure it'll pass, do you switch your attention to other things that seem to more open to progress...? Etc.)

• Do you think there really are such things as plateaus, or are they only apparent? Do you believe that if you work on something, you are making incremental but not yet visible progress, and that one day the increments will add up enough and you'll seem to jump to that next step? Or do you think that they're real, and you have to do specific things to overcome them?
​

I actually haven't made up my mind about any of this stuff, and I'd like to hear what others have to say about the problem...

 

[MJS]

I recently broke through a training plateau that I hadn't really realized I was on—I just assumed that because of my age and maybe some skeletal/muscular idiosyncrasy, there were certain things I just was never going to be able to do; and then I found myself able to do them. It wasn't accidental, I'd been working on them for a long time, but nothing, nothing, nothing... and then, bang, there it was.

So I've been able to reset my training goals now; but it started me wondering: what do people do about training plateaus? Everything I've ever learned, physical or intellectual or some combination of the two, has involved plateaus, and I'm pretty sure that most people experience them. What I'm curious about is:

• How do you recognize that you're stuck on a plateau?​

• When you recognize that you are, what do you do in response? (E.g., do you go full bore at whatever it is you're blocked on, do you just figure it'll pass, do you switch your attention to other things that seem to more open to progress...? Etc.)​

• Do you think there really are such things as plateaus, or are they only apparent? Do you believe that if you work on something, you are making incremental but not yet visible progress, and that one day the increments will add up enough and you'll seem to jump to that next step? Or do you think that they're real, and you have to do specific things to overcome them?​

I actually haven't made up my mind about any of this stuff, and I'd like to hear what others have to say about the problem...

Nice thread! To answer your questions:

1) When I see no progress, when I don't have as much motivation as I did, when the results are minimal.

2) Talking to your instructor to see if they have any ideas is a start. However, sitting down and evaluating your training routine and where you're having difficulty is a very good start as well. Slight changes can make a world of difference. Making a change in the way you do something will help you overcome that plateau. For example: Lifting weights. Doing the same routine over and over..your body is going to become so used to that, its not going to grow anymore. Making a change in your workout is going to force your body to adapt to that new change, hence, you should start seeing changes.

3) I feel that they are real and yes, in order to overcome them, some sort of change needs to be made.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

Training plateaus are definitely real. I treat them like writer's block and aphasia.

As soon as I realize I'm in one (usually when I start thinking of reasons to miss class), I change my routine the next day. If I was focused on knife work, I'll go do yoga. If I had been pushing the Kenpo, I'll push Capoeira instead.

Like other points where I feel 'stuck', changing things up for a while allows me to come back to it fresh a while down the road.

See also how some people seem to make huge gains in the weeks immediately following a long absence.

 

[Langenschwert]

• How do you recognize that you're stuck on a plateau?​

When you have fewer "eureka" moments.
​

• When you recognize that you are, what do you do in response? (E.g., do you go full bore at whatever it is you're blocked on, do you just figure it'll pass, do you switch your attention to other things that seem to more open to progress...? Etc.)

My response is to keep hammering the basics. The more efficient the basics become (and there's always room for improvement) the more quicky everything else improves. I think. For example, I can do a downward diagonal cut (called a Zornhau in German longsword... it means Wrath Strike) just fine. But after another 10,000 cuts, it'll be that much better, and all the followup techniques from that cut will be that much easier. Besides, assuming you're training for real combat (or training as if you were, like in HES, since I don't expect to ACTUALLY get into a sword fight), then you should be spending most of your time on the basics anyway. Those are what you fall back on in a real encounter. I spend a lot of my time practicing basic guard transitions, since that's the framework for everything else in my art.

• Do you think there really are such things as plateaus, or are they only apparent? Do you believe that if you work on something, you are making incremental but not yet visible progress, and that one day the increments will add up enough and you'll seem to jump to that next step? Or do you think that they're real, and you have to do specific things to overcome them?

I honestly don't know, but I don't think it matters. What is important is how you adjust your training regimen to meet your needs. If you THINK you've hit a plateau, then how you react to it is what matters, not the ontological status of plateaus in general.

Best regards,

-Mark
​

 

[still learning]

Hello, We have these "plateaus"...tons of small ones too...
Example: my son was learning to drive...mostly afraid of driving everytime behind the wheel...

One day," I said you will get into the car" and only think about where you are going.....THE FEAR IS NOT THERE ANYMORE....than you have reach this "Plateaus"....

When you do something you have been training to do? ...and NO longer have to think about it...it just comes...than you have reach a level (platealus)

Like learning a Kata..in the begining...one has to think about what the next move is..? In time the whole Kata (one does not think what to do next...the unconscious mind take over.....simple yes?

We all have this learning curve...than one day...becomes automatic...

Repetitions......makes the best martial artist......in the beginning one has to think what to do...in time...it becomes automatic.....the goal!

like getting into your car and driving...one does not need to think about how to drive anymore....you do it automatic....

In martial arts...it may take years before one "sudden realize" ....wow!

You unknowning reach a higher level ...some discover this by accident, or others find out on the streets..

Aloha

 

[KempoGuy06]

I recently broke through a training plateau that I hadn't really realized I was on—I just assumed that because of my age and maybe some skeletal/muscular idiosyncrasy, there were certain things I just was never going to be able to do; and then I found myself able to do them. It wasn't accidental, I'd been working on them for a long time, but nothing, nothing, nothing... and then, bang, there it was.

So I've been able to reset my training goals now; but it started me wondering: what do people do about training plateaus? Everything I've ever learned, physical or intellectual or some combination of the two, has involved plateaus, and I'm pretty sure that most people experience them. What I'm curious about is:

• How do you recognize that you're stuck on a plateau?​

• When you recognize that you are, what do you do in response? (E.g., do you go full bore at whatever it is you're blocked on, do you just figure it'll pass, do you switch your attention to other things that seem to more open to progress...? Etc.)​

• Do you think there really are such things as plateaus, or are they only apparent? Do you believe that if you work on something, you are making incremental but not yet visible progress, and that one day the increments will add up enough and you'll seem to jump to that next step? Or do you think that they're real, and you have to do specific things to overcome them?​

I actually haven't made up my mind about any of this stuff, and I'd like to hear what others have to say about the problem...

I agree with MJS good thread

1.) Usually I watch some one do what I want and I compare myself to them. If what I am doing does not match them I realize Im at a plateau.

2.) When Im at one i do two things. I will push myself for a week or 2 to break through and if I dont, then I dont do what ever it is for a week or 2 and work on other things. Eventually Ill come back to it and "BAM" Ive broken through.

3.) I believe they are real. Ecspecially when it comes to weight lifting. Just keep doing it and chip away at it and eventually youll break through. With the MA's its a little different because of the mental aspect (lifting weights is up down, up down).

B

 

[Laurentkd]

I
• How do you recognize that you're stuck on a plateau?

When I feel I have not progressed on a certain skill over the last few days, weeks, etc.

• When you recognize that you are, what do you do in response? (E.g., do you go full bore at whatever it is you're blocked on, do you just figure it'll pass, do you switch your attention to other things that seem to more open to progress...? Etc.)​

I would like to say that I continue to work hard on whatever it is... but truthfully one of my greatest short commings is that I do not like doing things I am not good at. So more often then not I'll switch my attention to other things. But, I never really get past that plateau until I go back to the original skill and just keep trucking.​

• Do you think there really are such things as plateaus, or are they only apparent? Do you believe that if you work on something, you are making incremental but not yet visible progress, and that one day the increments will add up enough and you'll seem to jump to that next step? Or do you think that they're real, and you have to do specific things to overcome them?

I think they are there. I think they are mental more than anything. I think you are on a plateau when either a) you don't really have the belief that you CAN do whatever it is you are working for (I am a HUGE believer in postive thinking, not in a corny way, but in a psychosamatic/ mind controls body sorty of way-- I could go on and on about this is someone wants to listen ) or else b) your brain has not yet put the pieces together to get your body to do what it needs to do. For instance, I can be working working working on something and see no gains, and then suddenly one sentence from my instructor, or one moment of sitting and thinking about how exactly to perform the movment, and then ah-ha! everything clicks and it is suddenly right there.
Now, if you aren't doing the physcial work to prepare your body to be able to do the skill (which is probably incremental) you won't ever have the jump, but I think the jump is usually 99% mental.

 

[Blindside]

I usually do something new, most plateaus for me happen when my training routine has become, well, too routine.

I might set a goal for myself like "do Form X at our tournament in two months" when I don't know Form X at all.

It might be something like "reformat the 2nd black material to finish with takedowns and joint manipulations."

These don't replace what I am already studying, they are just sort of a mental kick in the butt, to get me mentally rejuvenated about the art, and to give me something to play with to make it fun again.

Lamont

 

[kidswarrior]

Yes, I do believe we reach plateaus. At the time, I (we?) can often feel my (our) progress leveling off. But the key question for most people, I think, is what to do about it.

The answer for me has always been, nothing. I just keep training/teaching/practicing/studying/learning. The breakthroughs that have come I have only ever recognized in hindsight--I never see them coming, nor have I done anything deliberate to bring one about in my time frame. They're like a bonus for continuing to shed blood, sweat, and tears.

The harder question for me at this point in my MA practice is how to encourage students to keep on keeping on when they plateau. At some point they realize the shiny new belts are just cloth, the approval of instructors and classmates is fleeting, and the reality is that the journey is just plain work and dedication. I seem to lose too many at these critical points of realization, and am still searching for ways to communicate that they'll get past these plateaus. As we all do if we just don't quit.

 

[foot2face]

Training plateaus are certainly an obstacle one will face, especially with any long term training regimen. I've always found variety to be very helpful. It's like a fortune I once read, "any destination you seek can be reached by several paths". Basically, select an objective you wish to accomplish and then devise several methods for achieving your goal. Whenever you feel you are about to plateau jump to another training routine. Frequently switching between routines can be very effective at combating both mental fatigue and physical adaptation, two major causes of plateauing. You will eventually hit your limit. Having a variety of training routines is a great way to test weather you are in just another slump or if you have actually reached the full extent of your capabilities, which isn't nessesarally a bad thing. Knowing ones limitations is a significant component of the "Know Thy Self" aspect of MA training, a factor that separates a truly experienced MAist form someone who has gone through the motions in order to collect some cloth.

 

[meth18au]

• How do you recognize that you're stuck on a plateau?

• When you recognize that you are, what do you do in response? (E.g., do you go full bore at whatever it is you're blocked on, do you just figure it'll pass, do you switch your attention to other things that seem to more open to progress...? Etc.)

• Do you think there really are such things as plateaus, or are they only apparent? Do you believe that if you work on something, you are making incremental but not yet visible progress, and that one day the increments will add up enough and you'll seem to jump to that next step? Or do you think that they're real, and you have to do specific things to overcome them?

Nice topic Sir!!!

My answers are as follows:

1). Depends on the situation for me. Sometimes it may be a lack of progress, sometimes a lack of motivation, and sometimes you just don't recognise and cruise along making little progress.

2). I will usually chip away at the 'problem' slowly, and keep working on other areas where I am making progress. If the situation still doesn't get any better, then I will go full bore to try to make progress in the area I am stuck on. If that still doesn't work I may take a break and come back fresh. I am actually having this whole week off. Partially to give my body a rest, and partially to come back fresh to break a semi-plateau!!! It's really nice to stay in bed for an extra hour and a half in the morning, and to come home after work, eat and then lie around

3). I do believe in plateaus. I believe that they come in many shapes and sizes.

 

[exile]

I've tried to stay out of the discussion so far, just to sort sit back and see what people are saying; it looks to me as if there are really two poles of opinion: (i) you need to do something to change your routine to break through a plateau or (ii) just keep on keepin' on and the breakthrough will come. (There seem to be two subversion of (i): intensify your attack on the problem you're having, or shift gears to focus on something else.) Because I tend to get frustrated very quickly with myself in any technical activity where I'm not making the kind of progress I want to make, I'm inclined to be amongst those who go by (i) as a general policy. But lately I've been wondering... KW and Lauren in particular touch on something I've been speculating about for a while

Yes, I do believe we reach plateaus. At the time, I (we?) can often feel my (our) progress leveling off. But the key question for most people, I think, is what to do about it.

The answer for me has always been, nothing. I just keep training/teaching/practicing/studying/learning. The breakthroughs that have come I have only ever recognized in hindsight--I never see them coming, nor have I done anything deliberate to bring one about in my time frame. They're like a bonus for continuing to shed blood, sweat, and tears.

The harder question for me at this point in my MA practice is how to encourage students to keep on keeping on when they plateau. At some point they realize the shiny new belts are just cloth, the approval of instructors and classmates is fleeting, and the reality is that the journey is just plain work and dedication. I seem to lose too many at these critical points of realization, and am still searching for ways to communicate that they'll get past these plateaus. As we all do if we just don't quit.

...your brain has not yet put the pieces together to get your body to do what it needs to do.For instance, I can be working working working on something and see no gains, and then suddenly one sentence from my instructor, or one moment of sitting and thinking about how exactly to perform the movment, and then ah-ha! everything clicks and it is suddenly right there.

What if it's the case that you are always making progress, but doing so in increments much smaller than your self-monitoring radar is set to detect? So suppose our brains are really wired in such a way that we learn continuously, but the transition to a new level of knowledge is generally to small to observe, except at those points where enough increments have been added together that it turns out we're at a tipping point, into a new level of skill. If that's the case, then a plateau corresponds to a perception of flat progress which doesn't jibe with our actual learning curve.

Paradoxically, this might actually make a case for a routine change. The idea is, if you're going to progress anyway but you don't feel as though you are, maybe the best thing to do (for those of us who lack patience, anyway) is making some innovation in our program so that we feel as though we're actually taking an active role in breaking through the plateaus we feel ourselves to be stuck on. If we're going to improve anyway, but can't actually see that progress and are getting frustrated with ourselves as a result, shifting our gaze away from the problem are might be the healthiest approach, given that—if this model is correct—we're going to break through at one point anyway. It's a bit more of that prosaic wisdom about a watched pot never boiling....

The problem is, of course, that it"s hard to imagine how this view of learning could ever be empirically tested. It seems to me to have the ring of truth, but... how much is that really worth? But if it is right, then the decision to keep on as one has been going, vs. the decision to change tacks in one direction or another, is basically determined by our own personalities: do we have confidence that, as Desiderata has it, the universe is unfolding as it should? Or do we think that unless we do exactly the right thing, it won't unfold at all, period? As one of the latter, I understand the temptation to want to go after the problem on all twelve cylinders... but it's just as possible that that really isn't necessary... :idunno:

 

[Xue Sheng]

• How do you recognize that you're stuck on a plateau?

Things have not changed, advanced, moved, or been any different for a while. That or,now, when I break through one I realize "Hey that was a plateau"

• When you recognize that you are, what do you do in response? (E.g., do you go full bore at whatever it is you're blocked on, do you just figure it'll pass, do you switch your attention to other things that seem to more open to progress...? Etc.)

I use to increase the intensity of my training but I discovered, at least for me, if I just relax and train I will get through it and likely be better for it in the long run and learn what I need to much better than if I forced it.

• Do you think there really are such things as plateaus, or are they only apparent? Do you believe that if you work on something, you are making incremental but not yet visible progress, and that one day the increments will add up enough and you'll seem to jump to that next step? Or do you think that they're real, and you have to do specific things to overcome them?

I do believe there are plateaus and now I believe they are a good thing.
I use to feel they were annoying signs of my inadequacy and they made me rather angry when I realized I was on one. Now I know they are there for a reason, you sometimes just need to take the time to understand what you are doing. Relax, train and you will learn and move on.

 

[kidswarrior]

What if it's the case that you are always making progress, but doing so in increments much smaller than your self-monitoring radar is set to detect? So suppose our brains are really wired in such a way that we learn continuously, but the transition to a new level of knowledge is generally to small to observe, except at those points where enough increments have been added together that it turns out we're at a tipping point, into a new level of skill. If that's the case, then a plateau corresponds to a perception of flat progress which doesn't jibe with our actual learning curve.

I think you're on to something here, Ex. And I believe that Lauren's Aha! moments would substantiate this, as the proverbial tip of the learning iceberg pops out of the water.

Paradoxically, this might actually make a case for a routine change. The idea is, if you're going to progress anyway but you don't feel as though you are, maybe the best thing to do (for those of us who lack patience, anyway) is making some innovation in our program so that we feel as though we're actually taking an active role in breaking through the plateaus we feel ourselves to be stuck on. If we're going to improve anyway, but can't actually see that progress and are getting frustrated with ourselves as a result, shifting our gaze away from the problem are might be the healthiest approach, given that—if this model is correct—we're going to break through at one point anyway.

Yes, I can see your point. After a little more reflection, I now believe I do this all the time but without having thought about it all that much. There are some basics that always get covered, then the material/approach can become very divergent. This varies from day to day and class to class.

The problem is, of course, that it"s hard to imagine how this view of learning could ever be empirically tested.

But maybe that's asking for too much from ourselves? That is, proving that it's true for someone else, or true across the board. If it's true (works) for me, then maybe that's all that counts? Don't know, just thinking out loud.

It seems to me to have the ring of truth, but... how much is that really worth? But if it is right, then the decision to keep on as one has been going, vs. the decision to change tacks in one direction or another, is basically determined by our own personalities: do we have confidence that, as Desiderata has it, the universe is unfolding as it should? Or do we think that unless we do exactly the right thing, it won't unfold at all, period? As one of the latter, I understand the temptation to want to go after the problem on all twelve cylinders... but it's just as possible that that really isn't necessary... :idunno:

It does seem to have the ring of truth, as does the both/and nature of the answer. If one way gets me through my training, then it's 'true'; if the other way works, then the truth lies in that direction. This is one of the greatest difficulties for me as I teach others, by the way. A student may have a differing perspective on this (and everything else about how teaching should occur) from me....And maybe I've just answered my own question of how to get a student past a perceived plateau--it depends on which of the two views they hold. Maybe the ones I'm losing hold the 'other' viewpoint on plateauing. Aha!

 

[kidswarrior]

I do believe there are plateaus and now I believe they are a good thing.
I use to feel they were annoying signs of my inadequacy and they made me rather angry when I realized I was on one. Now I know they are there for a reason, you sometimes just need to take the time to understand what you are doing. Relax, train and you will learn and move on.

Wow! I bow to your experience and insight, XS. :asian:

 

[jks9199]

Yes, I do believe we reach plateaus. At the time, I (we?) can often feel my (our) progress leveling off. But the key question for most people, I think, is what to do about it.

The answer for me has always been, nothing. I just keep training/teaching/practicing/studying/learning. The breakthroughs that have come I have only ever recognized in hindsight--I never see them coming, nor have I done anything deliberate to bring one about in my time frame. They're like a bonus for continuing to shed blood, sweat, and tears.

The harder question for me at this point in my MA practice is how to encourage students to keep on keeping on when they plateau. At some point they realize the shiny new belts are just cloth, the approval of instructors and classmates is fleeting, and the reality is that the journey is just plain work and dedication. I seem to lose too many at these critical points of realization, and am still searching for ways to communicate that they'll get past these plateaus. As we all do if we just don't quit.

How do I know if I'm in plateau? In martial arts, I start getting frustrated with some technique or skill. In other activities, I stop finding progress or feeling accomplishment. And I start getting frustrated...

What do I do when I plateau? It depends. Some things, you just need to hit harder and harder, practice more and more, and you'll move past the plateau. Other things, you need that "plateau time" for your body to acclimate and lock in the gains or advancements, or to build the ability to go to the next level. So it's do nothing; make no changes. And, in still other things, you need to change your focus. Relax, do something else for a bit, and come back to it another day. I've known guys who were working on their bench press; there was a routine that included no bench press after a diagnostic to determine their max for a couple of months. They worked various other exercises to support and strengthen it... And, at the end of the program, they all showed respectable boosts in their one-rep bench.

 

[Steel Tiger]

• How do you recognize that you're stuck on a plateau?

• When you recognize that you are, what do you do in response? (E.g., do you go full bore at whatever it is you're blocked on, do you just figure it'll pass, do you switch your attention to other things that seem to more open to progress...? Etc.)​

• Do you think there really are such things as plateaus, or are they only apparent? Do you believe that if you work on something, you are making incremental but not yet visible progress, and that one day the increments will add up enough and you'll seem to jump to that next step? Or do you think that they're real, and you have to do specific things to overcome them?​

I figure I am plateauing when I begin to get bored with what I am doing. My mind starts to wander.

When I realise I am at a plateau I generally leave it for a while, go do other things (non-MA things) and then do some reading about concepts and principles. This, I find, usually helps me find away to get past the plateau.

Plateaus are obviously a real phenomenon and are actually valuable training insights. They are an indication that even though you think you are progressing you're not really. They can be helpful in recognising when we are doing something wrong or simply missing something.

A training plateau is not the same as reaching the end of your knowledge. Usually with a plateau you recognise that there is more you are just having trouble getting to it. When you reach the end of your knowledge there is no more. You need to find a new source of knowledge and inspiration.

 

[foot2face]

What if it's the case that you are always making progress, but doing so in increments much smaller than your self-monitoring radar is set to detect? So suppose our brains are really wired in such a way that we learn continuously, but the transition to a new level of knowledge is generally to small to observe, except at those points where enough increments have been added together that it turns out we're at a tipping point, into a new level of skill. If that's the case, then a plateau corresponds to a perception of flat progress which doesn't jibe with our actual learning curve.

Paradoxically, this might actually make a case for a routine change. The idea is, if you're going to progress anyway but you don't feel as though you are, maybe the best thing to do (for those of us who lack patience, anyway) is making some innovation in our program so that we feel as though we're actually taking an active role in breaking through the plateaus we feel ourselves to be stuck on. If we're going to improve anyway, but can't actually see that progress and are getting frustrated with ourselves as a result, shifting our gaze away from the problem are might be the healthiest approach, given that—if this model is correct—we're going to break through at one point anyway. It's a bit more of that prosaic wisdom about a watched pot never boiling....

The problem is, of course, that it"s hard to imagine how this view of learning could ever be empirically tested. It seems to me to have the ring of truth, but... how much is that really worth? But if it is right, then the decision to keep on as one has been going, vs. the decision to change tacks in one direction or another, is basically determined by our own personalities: do we have confidence that, as Desiderata has it, the universe is unfolding as it should? Or do we think that unless we do exactly the right thing, it won't unfold at all, period? As one of the latter, I understand the temptation to want to go after the problem on all twelve cylinders... but it's just as possible that that really isn't necessary... :idunno:

I believe this is a case of you being too smart for your own good, you're really over thinking the matter. First off you need to distinguish between a mental block and a physical plateau. In the case of a mental block, when practicing a new skill your brain sometimes needs time to learn what you are trying to teach it. Progress my be incremental if not completely imperceptible, until one day it just clicks. Your brain finally comprehends the goal you trying to achieve and understands how to accomplish it. You have that Aha moment others have spoken of. Until this point many feel they have plateaued due to the slow and insignifcant progress. Changing training routines can help, especially if boredom or frustration becomes a factor, but isn't always necessary. Staying the course until you mind can wrap itself around the new skill you are learning will eventually yield results. All that is required is persistence and patience. A physical plateau is another matter. Your body will adapt to your training routine, coming to a point were physical gains are no longer possible. You will reach an equilibrium between the streets your training routine exerts on your body and your body's ability to overcome that stress. Basically, your training routine will no longer yield greater results it will simply maintain the gains you have already made, no mater how long you continue to do it. This doesn't mean that you are incapable of further progress though; increasing the intensity of your training or changing the method training can stimulate your body into making further gains. This is a common phenomenon often experienced by weight lifters.

I hope this has been helpful.

Good luck -Foot2Face

 

[Laurentkd]

Paradoxically, this might actually make a case for a routine change. The idea is, if you're going to progress anyway but you don't feel as though you are, maybe the best thing to do (for those of us who lack patience, anyway) is making some innovation in our program so that we feel as though we're actually taking an active role in breaking through the plateaus we feel ourselves to be stuck on. If we're going to improve anyway, but can't actually see that progress and are getting frustrated with ourselves as a result, shifting our gaze away from the problem are might be the healthiest approach, given that—if this model is correct—we're going to break through at one point anyway. It's a bit more of that prosaic wisdom about a watched pot never boiling....

hmmm.... very interesting to think about. So, following Exile's theory, how could you change your routine in a way that you are still making progress without actually practicing the same thing you want to make progress on? And, could you then come back to your original goal and meet it immediately (break through the plateau) without having to spend at least some time again on the original skill/routine/goal. I would think you would still have to spend some time hammering away at what you had taken a break from:idunno: