Thanks, Mark. I think my determination on this is due in part to understanding and believing that this problem-solving process and the gamification can be "engaging, engrossing, and gratifying" as musician Noa Kageyama said: https://mtbpracticelab.substack.com/p/is-making-mtb-practice-fun-wrong
So it's definitely hard work but somehow 'fun' isn't the right word for it. However, I would expect that if I get past my plateau, I'll experiment more fun riding over bigger boulders and doing full-blown bunny hops.
What's been your experience with a frustrating plateau?
I agree fun is probably not the best word for it. Thats a great question . I have started and stopped so many activities in my life. Wheelies being one of them . My pattern has been if I don't pick it up fairly quickly and hit a plateau I quit. That strategy of quitting has overlapped to all areas of my life even relationships. I am grateful that somehow my awareness (or the crack to let the light in ) of this strategy is not the best option. I also started the wheelie challenge when Ryan first started it years ago . At that time I was working and would ride my bike to work every day and would practice every where I could on the way to work and back for months . From a gut feeling like many other attempts to learn things in life If I had hung in there a bit longer I would have progressed to the next step in my wheelies but I was in a frustrating plateau and just stopped and went to jumping and ended up getting hurt. So at this point I see my weakness clearly in my life ,and want to work on improving my dedication in all aspects of my life. This book has helped me tremendously The Surrender Experiment by Michael A Singer. Everything Michael did in his life he put his whole heart into it, what life he created . Thanks for asking Griff
I'll get back to you tomorrow on your comment, Mark.
As for Michael Singer, I didn't know about his Surrender Experiment book but I have read The Untethered Soul. I have a favorite quote from it that I read once a month.
Mark, I'm starting to understand that plateaus are inevitable in the development of any skill, especially motor skills. It's hard to appreciate them, however! For me, the way I'm trying to get past my boulder plateau is a different experience because it's much more nuanced and I'm figuring out what's needed to maintain my motivation.
Like you, I've also hit a wheelie plateau. I got to where I can sometimes get a dozen+ pedal strokes. I've been there for over two years, with intermittent spurts of dedicated practice, most recently last November:
I'd like to get where I can regularly wheelie a block or more. But I've come to the realization that I need to get better at my how-to-practice skills since it's such a difficult skill to master. Plus, it's a skill that really seduces me into a Be Good mindset instead of a Get Better mindset. I WANT TO SHOWOFF my ability to wheelie too much. More on that mindset trap in an upcoming post.
I'm also excited about the new science-based discoveries on how to better sustain a difficult learning journey and get past plateaus. I've got enough material now to start A) trying to use the techniques myself, and B) writing posts about them.
I don't know if it helps to think of frequently "quitting" after hitting a plateau on something important as a weakness or a character defect or a lack of dedication. It might be more helpful to think of it as a lack of understanding. These two quotes by author Polly Berriend Behrends have helped me over the years with my personal life and they now somewhat apply to getting better at MTB skills:
"Understanding is the door to freedom and alert awareness is the mother of understanding."
"Everything that happens to you is your teacher. The secret is to learn to sit at the feet of your own life and be taught by it."
You're there now at the doorstep. You wrote:
"I am grateful that somehow my awareness (or the crack to let the light in ) of this strategy is not the best option."
Thanks for your willingness to talk about this. It helps me to clarify my own thinking.
Great reply Griff. They way you put it can be exciting . Understanding why I stop in plateaus is interesting to think about . I am encouraged to think about this more . Rather than thinking of myself as a quitter . Understanding why , will give me a deeper clarity of my thought process . And the possibility of having a different outcome in a plateau. Thank You . I really enjoyed Your video of the wheelie practice . It helped me . Tonight I tried to keep my head up and look forward. What are You using to hold Your phone up to record Yourself ? Thanks again for the recommendations on the books cant wait to read them . Looking forward to learning more about how to practice skills and make a game out of it. As I sit here and write to You something is coming up for me its a belief I have of time. If I hit a plateau I have put time into this practice and I believe its taking to long to learn and I am not seeing progress anymore so Its wasting time and so my strategy is let's move on to something I can learn faster. Interesting . Just thought I would share that while it was alive in me in this moment. Thanks Griff, learning allot from You much appreciation
You're welcome, Mark. I'm glad to see that you're having some 'aha' moments already. That belief about time is a common one. For me, it was realizing that I wanted to hurry up and Be Good so I could impress others. Childish but also common.
* I use a tallish tripod for my phone or GoPro for recording myself.
incredible determantion, I am guessing Your enjoying the process and this is more fun then work ?
Thanks, Mark. I think my determination on this is due in part to understanding and believing that this problem-solving process and the gamification can be "engaging, engrossing, and gratifying" as musician Noa Kageyama said: https://mtbpracticelab.substack.com/p/is-making-mtb-practice-fun-wrong
So it's definitely hard work but somehow 'fun' isn't the right word for it. However, I would expect that if I get past my plateau, I'll experiment more fun riding over bigger boulders and doing full-blown bunny hops.
What's been your experience with a frustrating plateau?
I agree fun is probably not the best word for it. Thats a great question . I have started and stopped so many activities in my life. Wheelies being one of them . My pattern has been if I don't pick it up fairly quickly and hit a plateau I quit. That strategy of quitting has overlapped to all areas of my life even relationships. I am grateful that somehow my awareness (or the crack to let the light in ) of this strategy is not the best option. I also started the wheelie challenge when Ryan first started it years ago . At that time I was working and would ride my bike to work every day and would practice every where I could on the way to work and back for months . From a gut feeling like many other attempts to learn things in life If I had hung in there a bit longer I would have progressed to the next step in my wheelies but I was in a frustrating plateau and just stopped and went to jumping and ended up getting hurt. So at this point I see my weakness clearly in my life ,and want to work on improving my dedication in all aspects of my life. This book has helped me tremendously The Surrender Experiment by Michael A Singer. Everything Michael did in his life he put his whole heart into it, what life he created . Thanks for asking Griff
I'll get back to you tomorrow on your comment, Mark.
As for Michael Singer, I didn't know about his Surrender Experiment book but I have read The Untethered Soul. I have a favorite quote from it that I read once a month.
Mark, I'm starting to understand that plateaus are inevitable in the development of any skill, especially motor skills. It's hard to appreciate them, however! For me, the way I'm trying to get past my boulder plateau is a different experience because it's much more nuanced and I'm figuring out what's needed to maintain my motivation.
Like you, I've also hit a wheelie plateau. I got to where I can sometimes get a dozen+ pedal strokes. I've been there for over two years, with intermittent spurts of dedicated practice, most recently last November:
https://vimeo.com/649323974/9fb0e41587
I'd like to get where I can regularly wheelie a block or more. But I've come to the realization that I need to get better at my how-to-practice skills since it's such a difficult skill to master. Plus, it's a skill that really seduces me into a Be Good mindset instead of a Get Better mindset. I WANT TO SHOWOFF my ability to wheelie too much. More on that mindset trap in an upcoming post.
I'm also excited about the new science-based discoveries on how to better sustain a difficult learning journey and get past plateaus. I've got enough material now to start A) trying to use the techniques myself, and B) writing posts about them.
I don't know if it helps to think of frequently "quitting" after hitting a plateau on something important as a weakness or a character defect or a lack of dedication. It might be more helpful to think of it as a lack of understanding. These two quotes by author Polly Berriend Behrends have helped me over the years with my personal life and they now somewhat apply to getting better at MTB skills:
"Understanding is the door to freedom and alert awareness is the mother of understanding."
"Everything that happens to you is your teacher. The secret is to learn to sit at the feet of your own life and be taught by it."
You're there now at the doorstep. You wrote:
"I am grateful that somehow my awareness (or the crack to let the light in ) of this strategy is not the best option."
Thanks for your willingness to talk about this. It helps me to clarify my own thinking.
Great reply Griff. They way you put it can be exciting . Understanding why I stop in plateaus is interesting to think about . I am encouraged to think about this more . Rather than thinking of myself as a quitter . Understanding why , will give me a deeper clarity of my thought process . And the possibility of having a different outcome in a plateau. Thank You . I really enjoyed Your video of the wheelie practice . It helped me . Tonight I tried to keep my head up and look forward. What are You using to hold Your phone up to record Yourself ? Thanks again for the recommendations on the books cant wait to read them . Looking forward to learning more about how to practice skills and make a game out of it. As I sit here and write to You something is coming up for me its a belief I have of time. If I hit a plateau I have put time into this practice and I believe its taking to long to learn and I am not seeing progress anymore so Its wasting time and so my strategy is let's move on to something I can learn faster. Interesting . Just thought I would share that while it was alive in me in this moment. Thanks Griff, learning allot from You much appreciation
You're welcome, Mark. I'm glad to see that you're having some 'aha' moments already. That belief about time is a common one. For me, it was realizing that I wanted to hurry up and Be Good so I could impress others. Childish but also common.
* I use a tallish tripod for my phone or GoPro for recording myself.