500 Words a Week - For the First Time

When was the last time you tried something for the first time.

We all have our comforts, our schedule, the things we do daily or weekly. We tend to be creatures of routine. When that routine is challenged or altered, we feel distress.

When we get comfortable, be that in our job, be that in other pursuits, the boundary stops moving. We stop pushing into unknown realms.

Think of the Hobbit. If you haven’t watched it before, Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit immensely comfortable and safe in his charming house. Until a call for adventure comes to his door. A call to expand horizons and experiences, knowledge and wisdom.

This week I did a track sprint session for the first time with a coach who’s coached Olympians and gone to the Olympics himself. Within 1 minute I was humbled by some simple hurdle walk over drills he had me performing. The session was a constant refresher of how we can become guilty of thinking we know the answers. We can become comfortable in our knowledge and skills.

I thought I was relatively well versed in coaching speed for team sport athletes and demonstrating drills that I want them to perform. After 5 minutes with this coach, I quickly reframed that mindset. Already I’m regretting not trying to do something like this sooner for my own coaching ability. However, as per the Chinese proverb discussed in last week’s blog, the best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago, the second best time is today.

I think trying things for the first time, relates to our ability to embrace a beginner mindset. To not to be afraid of looking foolish for our lack of skill or knowledge in our new endeavour. Opening ourselves up to take on new information and learn from new experiences. 

We have all heard the 10,000-hour rule. Regardless of its applicability or not, Josh Kaufman has proposed off the back of this that it only takes 20 hours to become average at something with focused and deliberate practice.

So, when was the last time you tried something for the first time?

An important note on routine is that you mustn’t let your routine rule you. You can’t allow yourself to become so dependent on your routine, that if for some external circumstances you can’t follow your specific routine you are still able to operate at a high level.