That’s a question that you should ask yourself if you’re serious about mastering anything
But who wants to look like a fool? We all want to look good. We want to impress. It’s hard to let go of vanity. It’s also hard to let go of habits that you’ve already formed.
There’s a parable highlighted in Mastery that illustrates that point. George Leonard describes a situation where a person has a cup of milk in hand and a quart of milk on the table within reach. In order to attain the greater quantity of milk, the person will have to let go of the cup.
It’s in that transition where you will look like a fool.
You’ve let go of the cup, but you haven’t yet attained the quart. Who knows how much time will pass between those two points. To be great though, you can’t be content with just being good.
Let’s Go Deeper
I’m in that transition right now. There are areas in my skill set where I’m confident, and I have a high degree of success when I force matches into those situations. There are also areas where I’m not confident.
There’s a choice present in situations like that.
You can either hold on to the cup and just focus on what you’re already good at, or you can let go of it and strive to learn new things.
For me, I’m trying to let go of the cup, and I’m going to look like a fool at times in the process. I’m going to get swept, my guard is going to get passed, and I’m going to get submitted.
None of that matters.
All that matters is the commitment to the process.
Gear Shift
So are you able to answer that question yet? Oh, you know the one in the title of the post.
Are you willing to look like a fool?
Oh, still thinking about it? Alright, I’ll give you a little scenario. Imagine for a second that you’re rolling with a lower belt and your instructor is watching you. You can feel his eyes on you, and he’s watching with intense focus.
In that situation, would you be willing to work on something new? Or would you revert to your A game in order to impress?
It depends, right?
Hopefully, this little expansion on a fundamental concept can help you make that decision. Just remember that there’s nothing wrong with looking like a fool sometimes if your goal is mastery.