Strength and range
For active individuals, there's a psychological shift that happens later in life. At some point you come to appreciate the primary importance of avoiding injury. It becomes a keystone concern that overhangs any form of physical exertion. You sense an injury will trigger a series of knock-on effects. You feel it will disrupt many aspects of your life, and that the longer recovery time will slowly drain you of the motivation to return to your former routine.
So you become preoccupied with preventative measures, such as improving mobility. Perhaps you get into yoga, or commit to a regular stretching routine. You start to feel more limber and lithe, until eventually your growing confidence inspires a foolish decision, and you find yourself back on the treatment table.
With a bemused expression, heroically resisting the impulse to ask what the hell I was thinking, my physiotherapist has watched me rinse and repeat this cycle for years. Recently, while tending to the latest bang-up, he said something that deeply resonated. He said: "You can't just increase your range of motion. It's important to build strength within the expanded range. Range without strength isn't functional."
Range without strength isn't functional. Such an important point. And it applies to the process of learning, too. In many respects, learning is the act of increasing one's range. You are extending the frontiers of your knowledge and ability. You are widening the scope of what's possible.
Much of the time, however, we quickly return to our prior limits shortly after being exposed to new ideas. The brain, like the body, has a default setting that takes a conscious effort to adjust. The only way to adjust it is by consolidating one's incremental gains, building strength and range at the same time.
With physical activity, this means incorporating resistance as you gradually increase your flexibility. In the domain of knowledge and skills, it means using reinforcement mechanisms, such as note-taking, weekly/monthly/annual reviews, and deliberate practice.
Think of the hours we spend reading books, listening to podcasts, or attending trainings, only to have our epiphanies and resolutions scatter in the wind. How much more effective and fulfilled could we be with systematic ways of bolstering these learnings?
It's something I'm reflecting on as we approach the passing of another year. Thoughts and suggestions welcome!