A good apprentice watches the expert’s hands, not just the finished product. Learn the how.
RESILIENCE
WHAT THIS MEANS
Finished work tells you where to aim and nothing about how to get there. The information is in the process: the order of the steps, the angle of the hand, how much pressure, when they slow down and when they do not bother. Admiring a result is pleasant and teaches nobody anything. Watching the method is where the transfer happens.
Find someone who does well the thing you want to do, and watch them work rather than looking at what they produced. Pay attention to what they do before they start and what they correct. Ask one question about a choice you saw them make.
A QUESTION TO SIT WITH
Whose hands could you watch instead of admiring their results?
MORE IN DISCIPLINE, WORK & STANDARDS
- Somebody has to bottle-feed the orphaned calf before sunrise. Some responsibilities make you grow up a little faster.
- Discipline is mostly deciding things once. Same bedtime, same bag by the door, fewer daily debates.
- Take the worst job on the chore list sometimes. People follow the person who doesn’t always pick the easy one.
Free, with nothing to buy inside it.