Think how different you feel the fifth time doing some project. A school year, a trip, a show, a grant proposal.
Part of it is domain knowledge: you’ve learned some of the ins and outs of doing that project successfully.
But a big part is just that you know the rhythms. You know when the energy will be high or low, you know when you’ll be busy or able to relax, you know when to relax and when to lean in.
One of the things I try to teach my students is to recognize those rhythmic patterns in their own lives. Pay attention now, so you can compare what it feels to the next time.
It’s true at every scale: learning to recognize musical patterns will help you with every piece you subsequently learn. Learning the rhythms of moving to a new a house will help you the next time, too.
Pay attention to the rhythms of the world, and use what you’ve learned to get better.