Use neuroplasticity and the brain’s filter to make progress faster

Neuroplasticity means your brain changes with use, and mental use counts. In classic studies on motor learning, people who only imagined playing a piano sequence still showed measurable brain changes, similar to those who actually played. Short, vivid mental reps recruit many of the same neural circuits as physical reps, especially when the image includes sensory detail and timing. Then, when you do the movement for real, you get a cleaner signal.

There’s also your brain’s filter, the Reticular Activating System. It helps you notice what you’ve decided is important, like hearing your name in a noisy room or spotting your car model everywhere after you buy it. When you give it a phrase such as “clear starts,” it quietly hunts for examples and feedback that fit. A micro-anecdote: a sprinter who wrote “hips tall, eyes soft” on a wristband reported fewer false starts within two weeks, partly because that phrase shaped her attention right before she moved.

You don’t need to be an expert to benefit. Pick one crisp slice of a skill, run ten high-quality mental reps that are short enough to stay focused, then stand up and do the slice twice. That pairing is powerful because it links the imagined pattern to the actual pattern while motivation is still warm. Keep a small phrase in sight to cue your RAS during the day, and your brain will do quiet background work for you. Over time, those small, accurate reps sum to real change.

Choose one tiny slice of a skill you care about, then close your eyes and run ten vivid mental reps that you can actually feel in your body. Stand up and do two clean physical reps right away to bind the image to movement. Write a two- or three-word lens for the day, like “clear starts,” and keep it where you’ll see it so your brain knows what to notice. Keep the reps short and steady and you’ll feel progress sooner than you expect. Try a set tonight.