PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH
Blog Post #2: PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH
Summer isn’t just a season—it’s an opportunity to rejuvenate the body and mind. With longer days and a more relaxed pace, it’s the perfect time to step back, reflect on personal goals, and explore new interests (hello, pickleball!). It’s also a great opportunity to sharpen existing skills and stretch your mind in fresh ways.
This summer, I’m taking my own advice—the kind I freely dish out all year long. I’ve decided to apply the learning strategy known as interleaving to my summer reading list. Right now, I’m reading Atomic Habits by James Clear alongside Make It Stick by Peter Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel—side by side as I dive deeper into the science of learning and psychology behind creating habits. And I have to say: I feel the difference. My ability to make connections, absorb and apply new ideas has noticeably improved. It’s been eye-opening!
So what exactly is interleaving?
Interleaving practice is a strategy that embraces mixing up learning within similar genres. Cognitive scientists have discovered that when you learn about a topic in random order (like learning how to drive a car in a structured setting whilst also learning the rules of the road) our brains’ attention to detail becomes heightened, and we are able to make deeper connections between concepts. Of course, the “cherry on top” is that this strategy has been shown to improve one's ability to retrieve the information we learned, in the real world, at random times - when we need it most!
Here are a few ways this strategy can be used:
Students can mix up their flashcards when studying for a test. Rather than memorizing facts in a fixed sequence, they’re prompted to connect concepts more meaningfully.
Athletes can vary their drills during training, combining them with regular strength training routines. On game day, the ability to adapt quickly to an opponent’s move becomes second nature.
Professionals can use interleaving when onboarding new team members—rotating topics and circling back to key protocols helps new employees build context and retain knowledge.
Personally, I used interleaving by reading two books at the same time—each focusing on how we learn and how we build habits. As a result, strategies like temptation bundling and habit stacking now feel like natural parts of my daily routine.
Let summer be a time of discovery - and don’t just learn, learn stronger and learn smarter.
