Patterns are good things. When we tune in to them properly, we can process information faster and more efficiently. We can make predictions. We can detect anomalies. But if we aren’t careful, we let the patterns imprint us with ruts that get in the way of real thinking.
I was reminded of that tonight while teaching Kung Fu. I had a handful of Novices tonight, who had a decent level of experience with a sequence I developed. It’s a series of stances and kicks that flow one into another, impressing the importance of ensuring you’re in the right stance to deliver a particular kick. After the sequence, there is a simple reversal that starts back the opposite way with the opposite feet.
Tonight, I changed the order a bit. I swapped out the thrust kick for the stepping side-kick, along with the appropriate stances. I had more than one Novice point out that “it was uncomfortable coming down in this stance from this kick, and wouldn’t it be easier to do it this way?” Of course, they were right. It was easier to do it their way – because for so long it was the only way they had practiced.
My takeaway? I’m going to be more attuned to the patterns that I’ve allowed to become rote. Maybe if I can mix things up in the office, I’ll see things a little differently. Maybe I can try to do more wirelessly, from the conference room overlooking the city. Maybe I can change my e-mail/news monitoring habits, and get something different accomplished first thing in the morning.
If something is uncomfortable, it might be because it is completely wrong. Then again, it might be you’ve just let a pattern harden your possibilities. A little discomfort might just be the prescription for a problem you didn’t know you had.
[tags]Ike Pigott, Occam’s RazR, education, self improvement, Kung Fu[/tags]
