A friend made an insightful observation the other day about the importance of not falling into a habit of giving yourself a pass.
The more you do that, the less you push to learn, improve, and do better.
The opposite of a good idea is also a good idea. And while it isn’t helpful to habitually give ourselves a pass when we play sub-par, it is equally unhelpful if we just responded by repeatedly kicking ourselves/beating ourselves up.
The more you do that, the less you push yourself to try new things that in turn help us learn, improve, and do better.
So the answer lies in that sweet spot between giving ourselves a pass and kicking ourselves. It lies in acknowledging when we’re playing sub-par, correcting it if we realize it as it is happening, and reflecting on the pain to then make progress.
In other words, kick yourself just enough to feel some pain but not so hard that it prevents you from trying.
The middle path, as always, is easier in theory than in practice.
