Breaking down a quote

Clark Terry is one of this country's great jazz trumpeters. And a quote he once said speaks to me...

Imitate, assimilate, innovate. What does it mean?

Imitate: first you have to find the best practices to find the key to success. Find what works best for you then find those working on the practice. Follow their lead in everything they do. As you watch and imitate you have to draw the lessons into yourself, assimilate them into the marrow of yourself so they become part of you. They should become habit, natural extensions of yourself. The innovation comes in making the practices work for you. Everything's malleable, nothing's static. Make tweaks and changes to fit your needs. But keep the basic foundation of the practice. Strong foundations are essential--you make the design.