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I've been stuck inside for 3 days with no power thanks to Houston's snowpocalypse...It gave me time to think and reflect on lessons I've learned about performance over the past year.
Here are 9 lessons on learning, leading, and coaching to achieve better performance:
I've been stuck inside for 3 days with no power thanks to Houston's snowpocalypse...It gave me time to think and reflect on lessons I've learned about performance over the past year.
Here are 9 lessons on learning, leading, and coaching to achieve better performance:
Get the basics down before branching out, and revisit them constantly.
The basics are our foundation. All other performance and knowledge develop from them. Without a clear understanding of the basics, we have nothing to connect it to.
The basics are our foundation. All other performance and knowledge develop from them. Without a clear understanding of the basics, we have nothing to connect it to.
It helps establish a common vocabulary and understanding. If you don’t learn the nuances of the field, then you can’t expand upon it. You start to lose the crucial foundational concepts for the details and complexity that further learning brings.
A coaching mentor read a 1950s classic, The Mechanics of Athletics, every year for this purpose. He wasn’t afraid that he’d lose the knowledge, instead he knew that by continually recalibrating himself on the basic understandings, he would never get lost in the details
Take the Complex and make it simple
Charlatans complexify. Those with mastery simplify.
Complexity creates a mask where we can hide our true understanding. It’s our job to always work towards breaking down concepts into usable forms.
Charlatans complexify. Those with mastery simplify.
Complexity creates a mask where we can hide our true understanding. It’s our job to always work towards breaking down concepts into usable forms.
Move from Dependence to Independence
Fostering dependence is used when a person needs control and isn’t confident in his methods work. This need for control and dependence is a sign of insecurity.
On the other hand, fostering autonomy improves motivation and performance.
Fostering dependence is used when a person needs control and isn’t confident in his methods work. This need for control and dependence is a sign of insecurity.
On the other hand, fostering autonomy improves motivation and performance.
Learning comes from conversation
Discussing ideas allows is a 'hack' for understanding. It allows you to test your thinking. Develop a network and troubleshoot problems. Leave your ego behind, allow yourself to be challenged. That’s where true progression in knowledge comes.
Discussing ideas allows is a 'hack' for understanding. It allows you to test your thinking. Develop a network and troubleshoot problems. Leave your ego behind, allow yourself to be challenged. That’s where true progression in knowledge comes.
You can be in love with an idea, just don’t marry it
When we tie our self to an idea, it becomes ingrained in us as a belief. As a belief, we become blind to anything that counters it.
Think like a scientist. Everything is a hypothesis to be altered if the evidence demands it.
When we tie our self to an idea, it becomes ingrained in us as a belief. As a belief, we become blind to anything that counters it.
Think like a scientist. Everything is a hypothesis to be altered if the evidence demands it.
Attention is our greatest resource.
First, we pick up patterns when we pay attention. Our goal should be to build a big enough database where we can recognize what pattern an athlete is displaying and know exactly what path to take to correct or improve that athlete.
First, we pick up patterns when we pay attention. Our goal should be to build a big enough database where we can recognize what pattern an athlete is displaying and know exactly what path to take to correct or improve that athlete.
What You Give Attention to Is What You Value
Think about your phone. The more attention we give it, the tighter the bond between our attention and the subsequent action of picking it up and checking. Over time, our brain prioritizes the phone over almost all else.
Think about your phone. The more attention we give it, the tighter the bond between our attention and the subsequent action of picking it up and checking. Over time, our brain prioritizes the phone over almost all else.
Sitting across from another human? It doesn’t matter. If the phone vibrates, it’s more important. We trained our brain to respond in this way.
If we routinely send the message that this rectangular box, couch, TV, book, computer, or running shoes have value, our brain will take note.
“This item is important.”
The lesson is that what we assign attention to gains value.
“This item is important.”
The lesson is that what we assign attention to gains value.
Avoid siloed thinking. When we see the world through only one realm of knowledge, we get dogmatic.
Constantly work to change your lens. For example, see an athlete through the endurance, speed, strength and conditioning lens, instead of your default knowledge base.
Constantly work to change your lens. For example, see an athlete through the endurance, speed, strength and conditioning lens, instead of your default knowledge base.
How do we learn? Attention, Emotion, and Repetition
Attention- Signals its important
Emotion- Amplifies, signaling meaning and significance
Repetition- Ingrains
Attention- Signals its important
Emotion- Amplifies, signaling meaning and significance
Repetition- Ingrains
I hope you found this thread useful. If you did, I tweet threads on the science of performance 2x per week, so follow along!
