"I’ve come to realize that what I am best at is not Tai Chi, and it is not chess. What I am best at is the art of learning.”
–Josh Waitzkin, author of The Art of Learning.
When I was young I had a lot of role models, people who's values and skills I admired and wanted to learn for myself. I am the kind of guy that when I'm passionate about something I want to emerge myself completely. Articles, blogs, books, habits of top performers I would devour them all.
It would become my world.
This, my obsessiveness, what I later found out, is one of the best things to help you become better in something.
Ever notice that sometimes when driving your car you get lost in thoughts?
When you arrive at your destination you might realize that you drove purely on your unconscious mind.
By doing something a lot, your brain (the efficient supercomputer that it is) will start to create a structure in order to make you do it unconsciously.
Here is an amazing piece from a former poker professional.
"You are not just your conscious mind, you are your entire mind. Your goal is to condition your unconscious mind through whatever means available.
This training and conditioning is led by the conscious mind. After all, the conscious mind is the only part of yourself over which you have meaningful control.
But ironically, although it is very good in meaning to change your immediate environment, your conscious mind is not very good at altering your unconscious mind.
Hopes, desires and expectations are all lovely things to have, but your unconscious mind doesn't care about them or . . . might even be oblivious to them.
The neuronal networks of your unconscious are going to sit there and keep doing their own thing. Largely unfazed by your conscious goals. We're in something of a Catch 22.
Our conscious mind wants us to change, but our conscious mind can't change us. It's only good at changing external things.
This is the essence of a conscious fallacy. It is mistaking the conscious minds ability to act on external objects as its ability to effect the unconscious mind.
So in a sense, we cannot effect ourselves directly yet we still want to be our own masters. So what do we do. We circumvent the entire system.
Instead of expecting your conscious thoughts alone tot change your unconscious mind, you must be circuitous.
By co-opting your environment, which you can change, you can use the environment to train your unconscious mind in the direction of how you want to alter it.
Thus your conscious self development in poker just as in everything else must be mediated though the environment.
Create the environment that cultivates your growth, and you will grow. Merely trying to consciously strong arm that growth yourself will usually result in failure."
–How to Be a Poker Player by Haseeb Qureshi
When I was 17 I dropped out of school.
The subjects in school never interested me much, I wasn't good in learning things that didn't interest me.
I dropped out, not because I wasn't intelligent (although one might argue that dropping out is a sign of stupidity) but because I need to enjoy things in order to make me go the full 100%.
Luckily many of us live in places where we can decide in which direction we want to go.
Sure, its not always easy, if it was, you wouldn't appreciate it as much.
But when I am passionate about something, and really want it. Emerging myself into the subject becomes easier, enjoyable and my primary goal.
So how does one become, good at something?
Step 1 Find your passion
Step 2 Make it your world
Now go out there and make yourself proud.
This is my first post, please let me know what you think.
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