Thursday, September 19, 2013
Plateaus
I find there are three levels of learning something, whether it's a new sport, hobby, or skill. The first level, the one I call
The Beginner's Interest is when you're learning the basics of the endeavor. In rock climbing this includes learning knots, how
to use your feet instead of arms, and climbing easy routes. In dancing it includes the basic step, musical rhythm, and basic
moves. In singing it includes breath management, warm up drills, easy songs. Advancement comes very quickly at the level,
especially if you're a fast learner.
Eventually, however, you learn most of the basics, so your skill and ability levels sort of plateau. The next level is what I
call The More-Than-Just-A-Hobby level. Transition isn't really a point in time; it's more of a grey period. But now you need to
start focusing on the subtle, more technical aspects in order to gain more ability. In climbing this would be advanced moves,
gear placements, and building strength. In dancing it would be more complicated steps and sequencing multiple moves back to
back. In singing it would be ear training, performing more complicated songs as well as memorizing them. Then advancement
starts to progress again. This level also includes teaching others. Someone at this level is the best to learn from because
they are still in tune with what a beginner needs to know. I'd say to maintain this level its takes a minimum activity
of twice a week, ideally 3-4 times a week.
However, once you learn a lot of the knowledge and gained all of the physical ability to be very good as something, your skill
and ability levels sort of plateau again. This is what I call the Professional level. Up until now, you have been doing all of
this in your free time. Now it's time to focus 100% of your time to practice, drills, training, and nit-picking the hell out of
everything to make it exactly perfect. You can have no other interests or work distracting you from gaining the nuances of
skill you need to begin to advance again, including a job. Chris Sharma, Fred Astaire, and Pavarotti exemplify this as well as
others who gave up everything to become the best, but didn't become famous. This is a huge step and sacrifice.
I never seem to make it to the third level. I learn all of the basics, plateau, learn a lot of the technical skills, plateau
again, then, when I'm finally able, I see the mountain of time it takes to a master. At the same time, I pick something else
up, as a beginner. While looking at the mountain of time for the old activity, I see the immediate advancement in the new. I
find great satisfaction about seeing advancement and usually begin chasing it thus neglecting the old activity.
Eventually, I'm pretty good at the new thing and the old thing has fallen into my collection of past interests. Currently, I'm
studying singing and am riding my bikes less and less. Before biking it was rock climbing. Before that was swing dancing. And
so on, and so on it goes into my past. I wonder what will be next.
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