In training we simultaneously build and destroy patterns. In the long term, with a continuous willingness to question and explore deeply and a relatively detached attitude towards beliefs we can continue to make deeper training breakthroughs.
By “patterns” we refer to both thought patterns and behavior patterns. A belief is one form of pattern, a way to filter thought to keep from being overwhelmed by nuance and mystery. Beliefs are tools that can be quite helpful to use in life, but they also tend to become traps. As we invest time and effort in certain beliefs we become attached to them, making it increasingly difficult to let go of them. This is something to stay mindful of as we monitor our effectiveness over time.
Breakthroughs are a matter of identifying and changing limiting patterns. Studying history and training has inevitably led me to the study of patterns of behavior and patterns of thinking. In both realms, it is clear how past, present, and future realities are interconnected by various patterns. On some level, our lives and our collective histories tend to repeat themselves until lessons are learned. It’s common to keep making the same mistakes or continue the same frustrating patterns. We generally repeat behaviors and beliefs that we know and/or that seem to produce certain outcomes that we desire. Eventually at some point most patterns will no longer support continued progress or their consequences will add up and cause some other harmful outcomes. Then, assuming we can become aware of the pattern and have the discipline to manage our attention, we can identify broken patterns and experiment with improved patterns.
Limited or broken patterns can be difficult to spot in part because we operate so many layers of patterns in our lives. We can do this by examining breakages and sore spots. Identifying flawed patterns forces us to look at tradeoffs and ask what really matters. Patterns that may have been very successful for us generally also contain harmful side effects. Sometimes surface patterns may appear sound but deeper patterns or assumptions may be flawed. In the stress test of experience, deeper issues and foundational cracks rise to the surface and demand attention if progress is to continue. Virtually all of us who have had repetitive sports injuries or burnout have had to learn this the hard way. Sometimes we need to make deep shifts in training in order to realign with what our bodies and spirits are telling us. We may need to relearn to walk or run. This is actually quite common; most people in the modern world (including many highly experienced runners) have relatively poor running form which is unsustainable. The best athletes are often those of us who are most willing to explore and relearn things at the deepest levels. This helps explain why Tiger Woods has hired so many coaches and has completely relearned his golf swing so many times. I used to wonder why the top golfer of all time would work to relearn the basics and eventually I realized that he is a man who really understands training to an outlier degree and is willing to do the most difficult task of ferreting out deep issues (at least when it comes to golf).
The approach of open-mindedness and constant deeper learning is exemplified in the teachings of two of my favorite historical figures, the classic Greek philosopher Socrates and the master Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Socrates exemplifies the limitation of practically all belief and the vast potential we have to reshape our thinking. In ancient Greece, the Oracle at Delphi (whom the Greeks consulted for spiritual prophecy) told one of Socrates’s friends that Socrates was the wisest man in Athens. Socrates insisted that this couldn’t be true because he knew nothing, so he set out to find a wiser man. After a series of interviews and probing questions of various “wise” men, Socrates determined that no one actually knew anything. Hence, he concluded that he might be the wisest man because he actually recognized that he knew nothing. The Athenians, however, were uncomfortable with his deeper questions and his ability to highlight their ignorance, so they ultimately executed him, purportedly for corrupting the youth and failing to believe in the gods of the Athenian state.
Miyamoto Musashi appears to have developed an amazing mastery of the careful balance of practice and repetition with constant openness and questioning. A wandering ronin samurai, he was generally considered to be the greatest swordsman of all time, and his Book of The Five Rings is one of the classics of literature on training, mastery, and strategy. Musashi brilliantly captured the constructive and destructive balance of the training process and the continuous learning mindset with his statement “the purpose of today's training is to defeat yesterday's understanding."
As we work towards our best lives, these two historical characters can remind us that our beliefs and habits are just limited systems of thinking and acting until we learn better ones. They remind us to be willing to question even things that appear to have worked well for us in the past. Everything from creating and improving training rhythms to rethinking deeper behaviors and values can benefit from such an open approach. If the world around us seems in many ways dysfunctional, misguided, and unhealthy then it appears that most of the beliefs we have learned can probably benefit from a number of upgrades. Loosening our general grip on our beliefs and behaviors and vowing to become more open about questioning any of our beliefs or behaviors seems like a good first step. It’s what the wisest men in history and the most accomplished trainers appear to do.
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