I don't really know how I came upon it, but I found a rather interesting article about practice and rehearsal habits that may offer some help with respect to getting better quicker, especially when it comes to practicing repetitive exercises.

Here's the website and the article: http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/why-the-progress-in-the-practice-room-seems-to-disappear-overnight/

The gist of the article is that doing repetitive practicing until you get something 100% fifteen times in a row (or whatever the goal is) isn't as valuable as getting it right 100% one or two times and then moving on to another challenging practice routine. There are a number of common-sense practice tools that can help develop manual dexterity and speed in execution.

As this blog continues, we'll post this information. For now, please take a look at the article. It's new with respect to helping retain what you learn. Common sense is that you have to get something down ten or more times flawlessly before moving on. With the presentation of the brain scan information in the article, the common sense may no longer be so common sensical. Of course, if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you. Just like in the Thermionic Wiki, everyone is unique. You need to find what works for you - and need to understand as you go through life that what used to work for you before may no longer. This means not being afraid to occasionally re-examine what's working for you, and what isn't - and changing up what you do.