Episode #140: Juggling

Seth Godin has a brilliant podcast called Akimbo. Listen to it. One of his episodes is about juggling. Godin says that most people are learning to juggle by throwing the balls and then try to catch them. It seems the most rational way to learn, to me. But it’s not the most efficient. Godin believes in learning to juggle, you first need to learn to throw. Throw one ball, and let it drop on the floor. Throw two, and the same. Throw three, and the same. Keep on throwing until you have perfected your throw. Now learn to catch one ball. Then two. Then three. Keep doing it until you excel in catching. You get the picture, right? People don't like to drop the ball because it leads to a decrease in status. If you are willing to temporarily decrease your status in the short term, for an increase over the long run, shortcuts become available. Take alcohol as an example. How do you become someone that doesn’t drink alcohol? You don’t stop drinking alcohol. You check-in on Strive, daily. Only people don't want to do this because it leads to a temporary reduction of status. Barge past this resistance. If you check-in daily, your accountability grows. People see you, hear you and respect you. You help others and receive help in equal measure. Most importantly, if you're triggered, you are less likely to develop a case of the ‘fuck-its.' Find the most efficient way of learning, not the obvious way. If you don’t know how to find it, ask someone who knows.