The value of experience

by Richard L. Weaver II

It is very difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes it’s troublesome just wondering if, indeed, there will be a light at the end. Athletes, artists of all sorts, and anyone engaged in any pursuit that requires practice knows the feeling. “Do I have to do this?” “How long is this going to last?” “In the end, is this going to be worth it?” Most of those who are accomplished at what they do will answer these questions quickly and without doubt. The answers are “Yes,” “How ever long it takes,” and “Yes.” As difficult as the journey is, the destination will be worth your time and effort.

It was Anders Ericsson, a professor at Florida State, who runs Florida State’s Human Performance Laboratory, writing in the 901-page Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance (2006), as referred to by John Cloud, in an article in Time magazine (March 10, 2008, p. 33), “The Science of Experience,” whose primary finding, “is that rather than mere experience or even raw talent,” Cloud interpreting Ericsson states, “it is dedicated, slogging, generally solitary exertion — repeatedly practicing the most difficult physical tasks for an athlete, repeatedly performing new and highly intricate computations for a mathematician — that leads to first rate performance.”


This is precisely the kind of practicing we hate. Ericsson says that it is “deliberate practice” — “the kind that leads to failure and hair pulling and fist pounding” that leads to greatness. Cloud summarizes a study of figure-skaters by researchers Janice Deakin and Stephen Cobley, for their 2003 book, Expert Performance in Sports, who conclude, according to Cloud, “we like to practice what we know, stretching out in the warm bath of familiarity rather than stretching our skills. Those who overcome that tendency are the real high performers.”

There is no doubt about the accuracy of these findings. Only a few people, and those are likely to be the ill-informed or those who would like to cheat the system, would believe otherwise. I think the problem is that many people do not want to be high performers; many people just want to be average. They want to fit in, lead a life of comfort and ease, and not be pushed to extremes in any direction, for any cause, under any circumstances.

It was a discovery I made in teaching communication skills. Many students didn’t mind learning how to communicate more effectively, but to practice it in order to excel or to perfect the skills to enable effectiveness, meant little or nothing. I find these thoughts disturbing, even though when you survey the general population they are likely to be accurate.

There are values in gaining experience, however, that have little to do with excelling or wanting to be a leader, and these values, to me, should be sufficient to warrant pursuit of any subject, sport, activity, or artistic endeavor with intense interest and supreme effort.

The first value of gaining experience is preparing for the unexpected. It is impossible for you to know precisely what your future looks like. With technology changing the landscape as fast as a passing storm front, with jobs being sent south or overseas, and with an increased demand for those with a wide variety of skill sets designed to meet changing demands and flexibility, you cannot predict exactly what your future portends. The time and effort expended to gain sufficient experience offers a strong foundation with which you can address the unexpected.

The second value of gaining experience is what it reveals about you. Whenever there is a changing landscape; whenever there are fewer jobs and more people who want them; and whenever the competition appears overwhelming, the fact that you have spent the time and effort in gaining experience suggests to anyone willing to examine your record, that you are committed and self-disciplined. These are the traits employers look for in attempting to employ trusted, competent workers who are likely to be dedicated, responsible, devoted, loyal workers.

The third value of gaining experience has to do with what you can learn from others. The more experience you have, the more exposure you will have to the mistakes of others. When it comes to avoiding, confronting, or overcoming others’ mistakes, experience truly does seem to be "the best teacher." The experiences of making wrong decisions in the past helps you learn so that you will make better decisions in the future. This is not the kind of “learning” that occurs in a hurried, cursory, or fleeting manner. Time sharpens the senses; time improves perceptions; time enhances observations; and time increases both knowledge and understanding.

The fourth value of gaining experience has to do with ego strength. Ego-strength refers to the strength of your sense of self to look at all aspects of life without caving in or being overwhelmed. Ego-strength refers to your power and determination to engage reality in whatever way you find it to be. It is reflected in your ability to accept what is as existing and to then use your cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and relational skills to deal with it. It is your ability to play the Game of Life according to whatever curves life throws at you, and it refers to the inner personal strength by which you tolerate stress and frustration, which, thus, allows you to deal with reality without falling back on infantile defense mechanisms. Ego-strength emerges from a strong foundation, grows out of sustained practice, and develops as a result of seasoned performance.

The fifth value of gaining experience is one that may be less obvious than the others. In every area of life you encounter, great young minds need great experienced minds as mentors and models. Experienced people who have kept their fires burning and creative juices flowing must be there for gifted followers. You can show how surrounding yourself with positive colleagues and always seeking to improve your practices leads to a long and satisfying career. And from gifted young people, you can not only renew your spirit, but you can continue to grow, both personally and professionally.

As noted early in this essay, there is so much about your future you don’t know. To gain experience, along with accurate feedback to assist you in developing your skills, you will lay the kind of base that will allow you not just to deal with life and the unexpected, but to reveal your strengths, assist you in learning from others, increase your sense of self, and offer others a mentor or model of effectiveness. That, in a nutshell to be sure, is the value of experience.

-----

What this essay (above) is all about is getting the most out of life. At ZenHabits.net, there is a delightful essay, “6 Questions to Ask Yourself to Get the Most Out of Life,” in which the writer raises the questions, who do I love?, am I pursuing my dream?, am I doing something that matters?, what am I doing to help others?, am I as good a person as I want to be?, and what am I doing to live life with passion, health, and energy? All of these suggestions will add value to your experiences but, more importantly for the purposes of the essay above, the suggestions will make gaining more experience far more enjoyable.

At the Students’ blog, in an essay, “How to Get the Most Out of Life ,” the writer offers six suggestions: don’t dwell on the past, don’t dwell on the future, meditate, rest, exercise, and love. These, too, are the kinds of suggestions that will make gaining experience an enjoyable pursuit.

-----

Copyright March, 2009 by And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.