Growth is not linear. Growth is cyclical. The cycle requires a dance between cultivation and practice. Cultivation is a priming mechanism and practice is the act of repetition.
You cannot effectively nor efficiently practice that which is absent of foundational knowledge. The cultivation of skills creates scaffolding, which guides your practice with a blueprint of foundational knowledge that informs your navigation of repetition.
When cultivation and practice seamlessly intersect, you get into a flow state and flow state influences growth.