Learning to Innovate

I’ve recently been in a conversation about muscle memory, which is a form of procedural memory that can help you become good at something through repetition. As Wikipedia explains, muscle memory “has been used synonymously with motor learning, which is a form of procedural memory that involves consolidating a specific motor task into memory through repetition. When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for that task, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort. This process decreases the need for attention and creates maximum efficiency within the motor and memory systems.”

Muscle memory enables us to innovate. With technology now at our fingertips, those who are unable to multitask are now able to do so. For instance, have you ever sent a text of a picture while speaking on the phone with someone? Have you ever looked up someone’s number on your laptop while searching through Google on your phone or vice versa? Better yet, with muscle memory, have you ever written an email by simply looking at the monitor and not the keys your fingers are clicking? Muscle memory is amazing!

I’ll take another dive into this form of procedural memory. So after my reflection on learning, I can say that muscle memory is essential in adoption, registration, and education. To truly acquire knowledge on a particular topic, I’ve come up with these three steps:

1. Learn – Learning is what I call the “aha” moment. Well, you cannot “learn” something you already know. That is, unless you are re-learning something, which is highly unlikely. Once you know, you already know, and if you forget, you’d get a refresher on the material. Learning is when you can say, “I’ve got it!”or as if all of sudden, you begin to see the clouds uncovering the sun, or you get a light bulb moment.

2. Apply – In order to really claim what you learned, you need to be able to apply it. When you have the information registered in your mind, then you should be able to use it and relate it with what you already know, or what you are doing. This is the process of putting your education to use. As you apply what you learned, then you can even go a step forward where you weave the information into context to expound on a broader content. You would be able break the concepts into chunks or in varied ways as you explain it to another person. You would also be able to synthesize the information with another topic to give further detail.

3. Repeat – This is where muscle memory especially comes into play. Learning does not end in application, especially one time application for that matter. You need to be able to repeat what you have done as it relates to what you learned. Through application, you may encounter a new information. Learning is a continuous process, whether it becomes a validation of what you already know, or another light bulb moment. The knowledge becomes you and the material eventually becomes something you just know, with confidence.

So, let’s learn something new or get really good at something while putting our muscle memory to use!

Learning is an evolution of the human mind, and it is a necessity for an enriching life, so is the need to innovate.