+1 to this. For me learning to "Refactor your code when you see an abstraction" came only when I had to work in an environment where failing to do this caused

+1 to this. For me learning to "Refactor your code when you see an abstraction" came only when I had to work in an environment where failing to do this caused pain (writing Win16 OLE/COM code in C) I don't advocate masochistic practices as a means of self improvement per se, but the same habits can be built using intentional practice wherein you choose (for the purpose of the exercise) to take strong constraints on the style of your code.