Improve As You Move; Get Your Reps In

Perfection seems to be a worthy goal, doesn't it? It is. However, there's an important distinction here. While perfection as an outcome may provide an ideal target, attempting to take perfect action likely means you'll miss the target. But let's explore a smarter way of getting better at hitting the target.

Hey there. It's me, Kore. And you're listening to Exercising Self-Control: From Fitness To Flourishing.

So it's story time once again. This is a true story by the way. There was a photography professor at the University of Florida. His name is Jerry Uelsmann, and he created two groups as an experiment. In one group, he told them their grade would be based on the number of photographs they produced over the term. In the second group, he told them that their grade would be based on one single photo turned in at the end of the term.

The quantity group ended up producing the best photos. There are a couple of reasons why this worked out that way. One is that the quantity group that just submitted a number of photographs, they ended up experimenting more. They tried various techniques, tried different compositions, and therefore they learned. They learned from their mistakes. They started to identify what worked and what didn't, both with their equipment, the lighting, the composition of their photos. And because of that, they actually developed their skills. They started to know, “Okay, in this set of circumstances, this is the equipment that works best. This is how to compose a photo with this many elements involved.”

In the end, because they were working on the quantity of the photos and experimenting, they ended up having better quality.

Whereas the other group, aiming for perfection, aiming for the best photo possible, didn't take as much action. They instead were trying to figure out before taking action what would work: “What is going to make this photo, that I am about to take, perfect.” And so they didn't experiment as much; they tried to avoid mistakes. And because they didn't take as much action, they didn't develop their skills as quickly.

This is relevant because in the journey of fitness, you want to get your reps in. You actually want to get under the bar. You want to get that experience. So just get in the gym, or wherever it is you train, and move your body.

I have a saying: “Improve as you move.” Don't try to improve before you move. Don't sit and study a textbook or watch YouTube videos. That is helpful. However, it's simply getting into position and getting the reps in, workout after workout.

And not being concerned that, “Oh, my movement is not very good. I need to make it better.” What makes it better is that you're getting into the gym. You're exercising. But you're not doing it mindlessly.

Now I addressed this in the episode called "How to Actually Train" (four instalments back) if you want to check that out. For the photography group that went for quantity, that would have been akin to simply thinking, "Ah, the professor just wants a bunch of photos," and then just mindlessly going through the process. “I did one today. I'm going to do two tomorrow. I'm just going to submit thousands.” But not paying attention to the process. Not looking at the results of the photos themselves and thinking, "Ah, I know what I could have done better there. Ooh, that really worked. What was the difference?" That would be that mindless approach.

So as far as perfection, that's a worthy ideal. But when we are taking action, think of excellence instead. Your level of excellence today is higher than it used to be, and it's going to be higher down the road - a month from now, a year from now. And while it may not ever be perfect, the ideal of perfection is always, for the most part, out of reach. But that does not preclude your own excellent action in this moment.

So get your reps in. Try to be more excellent today than you were yesterday and your progress will be much faster. Pay attention to what's happening, look at the feedback, see what the result is, and then refine. And don't be afraid to experiment. Learn from your mistakes. That's how you develop your skills.

That's it for today. Catch you next time.

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