Addictive Breakthroughs

When you come across Tim Ferris and other productivity gurus, they all tell stories of incredible feats of learning and doing. For most of us, the things they achieve seem completely out of this world.

I reckon it is addictive though. Most things we try, we just can't do. It is a real struggle. The body fights. The mind fights, and there are just a whole bunch of things that are far easier to do.

But... I reckon if the bug bites you were you start to see how if you fight through the inertia, and get to the point where you have a breakthrough, you will want it again.

It probably helps knowing what is possible. Just like all the other 100m athletes starting to run significantly faster now that Usain Bolt has smashed the world record and continues to do so at whim and by large margins.

I am never going to run the 100m in 9.58 seconds, but there are a bunch of things I would like to do one day.

I just completed an introductory course in Yoga. I would not say I have had major breakthroughs, but after a 4 week course I can now touch the floor, do a fairly poor shoulder stand and last night and tonight for the first time managed to balance for about 1 second in 'The Crow' (although 1 second doesn't really count as balancing and I did 'take off' which I don't think is the intention). But, for me the touching of the floor is a breakthrough, and I am sufficiently hooked to push on.

I am also attempting to learn German with 20-30 minutes a night or so. I am using Rosetta Stone and while it is early days, I can already recommend it highly for whatever language you have been struggling to learn. Perhaps the breakthrough was learning that Jewelery is 'Schmuck' in German... makes sense to me.

Point being... I think once you get the bug of 'breakthroughs', perhaps that is what allows you to push on in other areas. Though some like Tim Ferris are probably a little more addicted that others.