#179 Intellectual understanding vs Internalized knowledge

Trying to become good fast makes you impatient. And impatience may well stop you from ever becoming good in the first place.

Because the only way to become good is by understanding that in today’s practice session, you likely won’t be perfect anyway.

That you likely won’t write your most insightful words.

That you likely won’t run an all-time best.

That you’ll likely spend a large part of your yoga session stumbling and losing balance.

When you go into your practice session with that mindset…

Suddenly it makes sense to focus hard on getting that one sentence right.

Now it makes sense to focus on rhythmic breathing while running instead of pushing for a better time.

Now it makes sense to focus on a tiny part of your body during an entire yoga session to train your awareness instead of trying to chase poses because “they look professional.”

Even if there is not much time to “become good,” it still makes sense to assume there is time.

Because that gives you the freedom to focus on the small adjustments that prepare you for when the time comes, and you truly need to perform.

Since I’m always practicing anyway, I don’t have to be good at this today.

Once upon a time, I consciously chose to brush my teeth every day, until brushing my teeth became my new default. Now the conscious choice I have to make is NOT brushing my teeth.

Once upon a time, during a pandemic, we consciously chose to wear face masks, until wearing face masks became the new default. Then the conscious choice we had to make was NOT wearing the face mask anymore.

Once upon a time, I consciously chose to write every day, until writing became my new default. Now the conscious choice I have to make is NOT writing.

Where else could I use a new default?

Choice inflection.