Fluency is the goal

Fluency. The ability to express oneself easily and articulately. We often apply it to language, but fluency should be the goal for any subject you wish to learn and use for the long term.

When you achieve fluency in a subject, the acquired knowledge and skill stays with you longer. And when you need to use it later, that knowledge and skill comes back faster. With fluency, it’s like riding a bike.

Fluency. Not cramming. Not memorization. Not mimicry. 

In tennis, you want fluency of swing and ball. In painting, you want fluency of brush and color. In writing, you want fluency of word and sentence.

If you want to learn something important, don’t stop until you’re fluent in it. How do you know if you’re fluent? You must be able to express yourself easily and articulately. If you need to contemplate anything you say, write, or do related to the subject, you’re probably not fluent.

In learning any new subject for long term utility, fluency is the goal. Anything less risks uselessness over time.