Discipline not distraction

On the path of learning there are many distractions that derail many.

The reason it is called a learning curve is because it is continuous and not just a random collection of points.

It requires continuous effort and dedication if you want to improve. Discipline to make the learning process a part of your life. It is waking up early to fit in practice before the day starts. It is showing up to practice rain, hail or shine.

Read any biography of anyone truly great (and I don’t use that word lightly) and you will notice the dedication, the sacrifice, the discipline that got them there. It is not easy but the choice is yours.

And when it comes to any deep learning it takes dedicated time and effort over time. Not a week or two but years.

I remember some great advice given to me when I started learning Aikido:

“The first ten years are the most difficult.”

That is the dedication I mean if you want to learn anything and become proficient.

Think of how long an athlete trains to compete at the Olympics or a musician to become good.

Think process not goal. It is a journey of discovery.

“A thousand days of training to develop, ten thousand more to polish.”

Connecting not cogitating

The big mistake most people make in learning is thinking about training rather than actual practice.

They talk and discuss and argue about aspects of practice. Instead they should just practice and the answers will become clear.

People will read articles and books and watch videos. And the Internet facilitates this but what most people need is not more knowledge but more practice. Understanding can only come through practice and connecting with action.

This is the problem with modern society in general where technical knowledge and the ability to describe or explain something has become more highly valued than actual ability.

There is even a misinformed saying that those who cannot do, teach.

What a load of cow dung.

Remember that experience is the best teacher. So in learning and seeking out a guide or teacher, find someone who has actually gone before you. Having a piece of paper in today’s world is too commonplace and has devalued the certification process.

So stop cogitating, ie thinking, and get going.