When birds learn to fly, there is a point where they leave the nest. The risk is high. The reward is they survive the drop by flying.
There have been a few times where I’ve been taught some skills in an unreasonably high risk way.
When I first learned to paddle an ocean ski, which are notoriously “tippy” when you first start out, I was dropped alone into rough backwash-ridden water off of the NSW mid-north coast.
I had fallen out so many times and was getting so close to the rocks in the big swells that I didn’t know how I was going to make it.
Somehow through complete exhaustion, I learned how to paddle the thing in the chop. It was a binary situation, a 1 or a 0. Learning the skill quickly was essential.
There is a time for laying out the steps, the progressions of the movement or business one-by-one.
Down-loadable “guidelines,” “cheat sheets” or “hacks” offered by different industries as an online offer..
These can be helpful. Occasionally.
A lot of the time though, we really benefit from learning for ourselves.
Often, when the time is right, the coach is more effective through planting a seed, an example or an illustration, but then allowing silence.
Through refusing to offer the next step.
Through allowing the space for the struggle. To fall. To get frustrated.
Knowing how and when to use both is the key.
