HOW TO GET A GRIP ON MASTERY

In martial arts, there is a concept that is called ​Shu Ha Ri, this concept refers to three different levels of mastery. The Shu state is about learning the rules and forms, which you repeat until they are a part of you. You don't deviate at all from the rules and forms, and everything you do is about being as precise as possible in applying them. Or as George W. Loomis already knew in 1902: "​Amateurs practice until they get it right; professionals practice until they can't get it wrong.​"
Once you master the rules and forms you naturally move in the Ha state. In the Ha state you experiment and innovate with the rules and forms. You try new things, some for better and some for worse. That is possible because you have developed your ability to notice  improvement in efficiency and effectiveness, and maybe some elegance too.
The highest form of mastery is the Ri state, in which you can let go of the rules and the forms. Your practice and experience has brought you to the essence of those rules and forms, which makes them irrelevant for you. You are free to innovate and experiment within full understanding of the meaning of whatever your mastery is about. Now the real learning can begin.

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