Week 13 - "That’s the process: Let’s think about what we can do today, the task at hand" - Nick Saban

Thoughts of the Week

Recently, I’ve had a string of poor athletic performances that have caused me to question the way I approach failure. For the longest time, I’ve always tried to respond to what I consider a “failure” with direct action. A bad grade on a test? Ask more questions in class. A bad day at the gym? Make up for it by going twice as hard the next day. 

Relatively, these are all very good things. Especially for people just getting into the pursuit of self-improvement. Responding to bad days with these kinds of actions is vital to condition oneself to expect and get more out of themselves. 

However, after 6+ years of approaching things with this mindset, I’ve started to realize that many of these actions have been leaning closer towards over-correction than just fixing a mistake. Instead of trying to pinpoint areas where I might have slipped up, I’ve been opting to make a full 180, and take things to an extreme. 

My general theory on why this could be is my tendency to lean into what I know. When something works, it’s hard to try something new. Add in the truth that I’ll probably fail sooner than I’ll succeed, and it’s easy to see why I’ve been so keen to immediately revert to my old ways. 

But something I often forget is that these failures are almost always part of said new process. It shouldn’t just be normal to fail when you try something new, but expected.

Yet, it’s still hard to continue to do something that doesn’t seem like it’s helping. Leaning into something we’re skeptical of is almost impossible. Even if you can convince your body and/or brain that what you’re doing is going to pay off, the minuscule amount of skepticism in your head will inevitably manifest. 

So what’s the solution? Personally, I feel like it comes down to a situation of blind trust. Maybe blind isn't the right word, but if you can find some evidence via a theory or results from someone else that helps you believe in the process, all that’s left is finding your trust. There might be times when you’ll fail and question if what you’re doing is right, but if you can find the trust that originally set you on the path, you’ll be able to move forward with confidence. 

There’s a blurry line between over-correction and fixing your mistakes, but if you can trust the process and understand that half of the mistakes are part of the journey, you’ll only be better equipped for the inevitable. 

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter and if you can at all relate to anything I’ve said. 

What I Learned This Week

1. Moravec’s Paradox

   Discovered by Hans Moravec and a group of AI researchers in 1980, Moravec’s paradox is the observation that reasoning involves very little computational power while sensorimotor and perception-related skills require large amounts of computational resources. 

   “It is comparatively easy to make computers exhibit adult level performance on intelligence tests or playing checkers, and difficult or impossible to give them the skills of a one-year-old when it comes to perception and mobility.” - Hans Moravec

Interesting content I consumed this week

Samskara: A Rite For a Dead Man by U.R. Ananthamurthy

TLDR: A great novel that examines the relationship between religion and the values of the modern world. 

#619 - Ben Francis - Gymshark CEO Explains His Strategy For Global Success

TLDR: A fascinating look into the brain of the founder of the largest sports apparel brands in the world

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That’s all for this week! If you have any thoughts or suggestions on ways to improve this newsletter or parts you think could be in or excluded, please let me know!