Bow before entering...
In any skill I wish to hone, I first decide what to do about it. Intention and motivation are the seeds to drive any and all actions. Even with mundane tasks or forced situations, infinite variations of action exist from which to choose.
Before proceeding, often a warm up consisting of repeated basics is necessary. Stretching muscles before running, breathing exercises before singing, repeated punches and kicks before fighting, brainstorming before writing, etc. The mental preparation is often more important than physical - visualizing, obtaining the 'zone' from which to proceed.
Next comes the kata. For those unfamiliar with the term, a kata is an exercise consisting of a sequence of basic moves strung together to make a more complex whole. It is the familiar song played to perfection, the series of shots made to zero the sights, the prayer and recitation of verses memorized, a journal entry on a random topic. It is the pattern performed appropriate to your skill level. Not too simple as to be boring and not too complex to be discouraging. Katas allow for incrementally learning a task, skill, or topic. It focuses your efforts on the tasks at hand, providing an opportunity to achieve even an infinitesimal improvement. As learning an additional vocabulary word after reciting the ones already memorized, it allows the weaving of a new piece of information into the grand patterns already established.
At last, the application of what you have learned. You find out very quickly if you have sufficiently prepared. Often, trying and failing is more valuable than succeeding. Finding out your own weaknesses and failings are essential to know so that those areas can be reinforced during the next cycle of learning. There is much variability in this step - sparring with a live partner, performing in front of a group, shooting at a randomly moving targets, submitting a written work for public critique. The variability can lead to frustration and can confound possible benefits.
In our results-oriented culture, the application step is often the focus. I consider the step before, the kata step, most important. The second most important comes after the application - the mentoring. In order to properly grow in any endeavor, good feedback is essential. Ideally, a master, mentor, or teacher can observe each of the above steps and provide additional feedback based on their own experience. Not only do you get benefit from your own observations, but from the experience of those more learned - providing a nearly exponential growth curve. Even without a direct mentor, volumes of feedback in almost every area exist online or in print. With or without direct mentoring, a written record of progress is always helpful to keep track of progress.
Eventually, we will become the masters and can mentor others in similar journeys.