Pros go back to the basics when they’re in a slump. Beginners think they’re above them.

When performance drops, the instinct is to add something complicated, and the people who recover fastest do the opposite. They go back to the simplest elements and check them, because that is usually where the fault is, and it is far easier to repair something basic than to compensate for it with cleverness.

Next time you are stuck, audit the foundations before you add technique. Sleep, form, the first step of the process. Being willing to look at the boring part is what separates a short slump from a long one.