Intuitive Mastery
“I know, I know … it will come with practice …”
To which I nodded, with a knowing Mum smile.
My son is learning to drive, and many a question of “how do I …” have been answered with words about new skills and practice; learning and intuition.
It is a stark reminder that much of the learning done at this stage of life - in the formal education setting, at least - happens inside the head. So much of it is about the huge intake of knowledge, and the explicit, cerebral thinking that goes with that.
Even as a teenager, there is the tendency to have lost touch with the curious, persistent, whole of mind and body approach to learning so evident in younger children.
Observing closely. Asking questions. Testing and experimenting.
Try, try, and try again.
New skills are acquired through holistic practice, without the pressure, expectation and over-thinking. They soon become things we simply know how to do. Intuitive mastery allows us to forget that we once didn’t know.
As the “teacher” we get to go full-circle with the learning. In this case, I dissect the detail of the driving skills I have long ago learned and perform daily through judgement, feel and intuition.
It gives me (some of) the answers to bridge the gap between his thinking and doing, like a comfort blanket between what has become the go-to method of learning, and the reality that his newly-acquired driving skills will come with practice.
It makes me wonder how we might apply the principles of practice and intuitive mastery to other new skills in our work and life. I’m curious, what might you learn through practice?