"Practice Makes Permanent"

You've heard the saying "practice makes perfect." But, is it true?

Alex took 1.5 years of piano several years ago. Every once in a while, she will sit down and play her favorite piece. She has played it perhaps a hundred times. But, there is one place where she tends to hit a wrong note. And, she practices this wrong note over and over. She corrects herself after playing the note, but usually misses the note while playing the piece. In her case, the practice of the wrong note has become semi-permanent.

I started swimming last year to participate in a triathlon. I didn't have a coach and just did the best I could with learning freestyle. Now, I'm in a Masters Swim class and the coach is trying to teach me the correct way to swim. I have learned so many parts of my stroke incorrectly that it is frustrating to try and correct my form. My body is 'used to' the wrong ways I've been swimming. I am trying to undo what I've learned, through practice. But, I feel it..."practice makes permanent."

Of course, in both cases we can undo the harm of practicing our skills incorrectly. But, it won't be easy! It's best to practice things correctly...because what we practice becomes permanent!
(This is insight I gained while listening to Andrew Pudewa's lecture, Reflections on Redeeming Repitition: Rut, Routine and Ritual.)