Accelerated Learning With Tom Gellie

Summary

In this insightful presentation, Tom Gelly shares his experiences and research on accelerated learning, specifically in the context of skiing. He emphasizes the importance of embracing struggle as a part of the learning process and suggests spending 70% of practice time in the challenge zone, just outside one's comfort zone. Gelly also highlights the value of focusing on small, incremental improvements and the use of video feedback for self-assessment. His approach aims to help skiers and others not only improve their skills but also develop habits that lead to continuous progress and mastery.

Takeaways

• 📝 Embrace the struggle - Recognize that feeling challenged is a sign you're in the right place for improvement.
• 🕒 Optimize practice time - Allocate 70% of your practice to skills just outside your current ability, the 'challenge zone'.
• 🔄 Focus on small improvements - Aim for 1% gains that add up over time, leading to significant progress.
• 🎥 Use video feedback - Regularly record yourself to track progress and ensure you're honing in on the right areas.
• 🤸‍♂️ Emphasize drills - Drills are essential for exaggerating aspects of a skill, making them more noticeable and improvable.
• 🧠 Understand the brain's role - Struggling primes the brain with chemicals that aid in problem-solving and learning.
• 🚀 Set realistic expectations - Aiming for a 4% increase in difficulty can be an effective sweet spot for challenge without overwhelm.
• 🎢 Find flow state - Engage in activities that require focus and challenge to enter a state of flow, enhancing learning and performance.
• 🤔 Reflect on progress - Take time to reflect on the small victories and improvements made during practice.
• 📈 Focus on intrinsic feedback - Encourage self-assessment and internal motivation rather than relying solely on external validation.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Tom Gelly's presentation?

The main focus of Tom Gelly's presentation is on accelerated learning and improving skiing skills based on his personal experiences and research.

What type of instructor is Tom Gelly?

Tom Gelly is a level 4 instructor and owns a company called Big Picture Skiing, which teaches people how to ski and improve their skills online.

Why is it important to struggle when trying to improve at something?

Struggling is important because it indicates that you are challenging yourself and pushing beyond your current abilities. This primes the brain with chemicals that help with problem-solving and leads to growth and improvement.

What is the ideal time split for practice according to the script?

The ideal time split for practice is to spend 10% on warming up, 70% on challenging skills just outside of your current ability, and 20% in your comfort zone.

How can drills help with skill improvement?

Drills are helpful because they exaggerate certain aspects of a skill, allowing for a more focused and intense practice that challenges normal physical ranges of movement and timing.

What is the significance of the 4% challenge zone in skill acquisition?

The 4% challenge zone is significant because it represents a small enough increase in difficulty to stimulate curiosity and novelty without being too overwhelming, making it an effective target for accelerated learning.

Why is focusing on one specific skill for a season beneficial?

Focusing on one specific skill for a season helps to develop a habit of improvement, making it easier to consistently work on that skill and track progress over time.

How can taking a break to do something within your comfort zone help with learning?

Doing something within your comfort zone after struggling with a challenging task allows the brain to release chemicals that aid learning and block critical thinking, making it easier to return to the challenge and perform better.

What is the role of video recording in the learning process?

Video recording is a valuable tool for self-assessment and tracking progress. It allows individuals to see what they are actually doing compared to what they think they are doing, and to focus on small improvements over time.

How can expectations influence the learning process?

Expectations can greatly influence the learning process by setting the mindset for small, incremental improvements. By aiming for 1% gains, individuals can feel a sense of progress without being overwhelmed by the overall goal.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Introduction to Accelerated Learning in Skiing

Tom Gelly introduces the concept of accelerated learning in skiing, drawing from personal experiences and research. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on the learning process, minimizing distractions, and the rewarding nature of improvement. As a level 4 instructor and owner of Big Picture Skiing, Tom shares his insights on creating habits for progress not only in the current season but also for future development. He sets the stage for the presentation by discussing his background in skiing and teaching, and his collaboration with James Compton to share valuable learning strategies.

05:03

🎯 Optimal Time Allocation for Skill Acquisition

The paragraph discusses the ideal split of practice time for accelerated learning. Tom suggests spending only 10-30% of the time warming up and 70% in the challenge zone, pushing the boundaries of current abilities. He explains that this approach is counterintuitive to common practice, where most people tend to spend the majority of their time in their comfort zone. The importance of challenge through drills is highlighted, as they exaggerate skills and movements, leading to better focus and improvement. Tom references the idea of a '7% challenge' from a Cirque du Soleil performer and relates it to skiing, emphasizing the value of pushing just outside one's comfort zone for significant progress.

10:05

🔍 The Power of Novelty and Focus in Learning

Tom explores the concept of making learning novel and interesting to maintain focus and maximize practice time. He advises against getting distracted and emphasizes the importance of being in a 'flow state' for effective learning. The idea of taking one good idea from a training clinic and focusing on it without interruption is suggested. Tom also discusses the importance of managing expectations and looking for small, incremental improvements. He uses the example of the British cycling team's success at the London Olympics, achieved by focusing on many small, 1% improvements.

15:05

🎥 The Role of Video Feedback in Skill Development

In this section, Tom advocates for the use of video feedback as a tool for tracking progress and identifying small improvements. He encourages individuals to video themselves to compare and contrast their performance over time, focusing on specific aspects of their skiing. The example of an online student is provided to illustrate how subtle changes can be noticeable and affirming. Tom emphasizes the importance of building habits through focused practice, challenging oneself, and making small but consistent improvements over time.

20:08

🏂 Balancing Challenge and Comfort for Effective Practice

Tom advises on balancing challenge and comfort during practice sessions. He suggests spending the majority of practice time pushing oneself with challenging tasks and reserving a smaller portion for returning to familiar, comfortable activities. This approach is likened to a flow state, where struggling leads to a release of brain chemicals that aid problem-solving and learning. The idea of taking a break to do something within one's comfort zone before returning to a challenge is presented as a strategy to enhance learning and get into a flow state. Tom reiterates the importance of not staying within the comfort zone and encourages pushing oneself to achieve growth.

25:09

🤔 Reflecting on Learning Strategies and Personal Takeaways

The group discusses their reflections on Tom's presentation, sharing personal takeaways and how they plan to apply the strategies to their skiing and teaching. The importance of dedicating time to improvement, finding a balance between performance, development, and cruising, and the value of uninterrupted focus are highlighted. The conversation touches on the role of external and internal feedback, the benefits of focusing on one key area of improvement per season, and the idea of setting up intrinsic feedback loops to accelerate learning.

30:09

🔄 Applying the Learning Formula for Skill Mastery

The discussion concludes with a focus on applying the learning strategies consistently. The concept of dedicating a season to mastering one specific skill is emphasized, and the idea of using the season as an opportunity to develop a habit of improvement is shared. The group members express their intentions to implement the strategies discussed, and there's an agreement on the value of the insights provided. The conversation ends with a reflection on the importance of struggling with a skill and then returning to something enjoyable as a method for achieving breakthroughs in learning and skill mastery.

Keywords

💡Accelerated Learning

Accelerated Learning refers to the process of quickly acquiring new skills or knowledge. In the context of the video, it is about improving skiing abilities in a shorter period of time by using specific strategies and techniques. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding and applying these methods to enhance one's skiing performance effectively and efficiently.

💡Struggle

In the video, 'struggle' is portrayed as an essential part of the learning process. It is the feeling of difficulty or challenge that occurs when attempting to master a new skill or improve existing ones. The presenter encourages embracing this struggle as it primes the brain with chemicals that aid in problem-solving and leads to growth.

💡Flow State

Flow State is a mental condition where an individual is fully immersed in an activity, experiencing heightened focus and enjoyment. The video discusses how achieving this state can enhance learning and performance. It suggests that understanding and manipulating the conditions that lead to flow can help individuals, including skiers, perform at their best.

💡Challenge Zone

The 'Challenge Zone' is a term used in the video to describe the optimal state for skill acquisition where an individual is practicing skills that are slightly beyond their current abilities. It is the sweet spot for learning where the activities are challenging enough to promote growth but not so difficult that they lead to frustration or demotivation.

💡Drills

Drills are structured exercises designed to help individuals practice and improve specific skills. In the context of the video, drills are considered an effective method for skiers to exaggerate and focus on particular aspects of their technique, thereby enhancing their learning and performance.

💡Novelty

Novelty in the video refers to the introduction of new or different elements into the learning process. Keeping the practice sessions interesting and varied helps maintain focus and engagement, which are crucial for effective learning and skill improvement.

💡Focus

Focus is the ability to concentrate exclusively on the task at hand. In the video, it is highlighted as a critical factor for achieving flow state and effective learning. Distractions can disrupt focus, reducing the quality of practice and hindering skill acquisition.

💡One Percent Improvements

The concept of 'One Percent Improvements' suggests that small, incremental changes can add up over time to result in significant progress. In the video, it is used to encourage individuals to recognize and value even minor improvements in their skiing skills, as these can collectively lead to substantial enhancement.

💡Video Feedback

Video feedback involves recording oneself performing a skill and then reviewing the footage to analyze and improve upon it. In the context of the video, it is a recommended strategy for skiers to gain an external perspective on their technique and to identify areas for improvement.

💡Habits

Habits are regular tendencies or practices that are hard to change and can be either beneficial or detrimental. In the video, the presenter talks about creating productive habits related to skiing that will lead to consistent improvement over time, such as dedicating a specific amount of practice time to challenging oneself.

Highlights

Tom Gelly shares his experiences and research on accelerated learning in skiing.

The importance of focusing on improving skiing skills and eliminating distractions during practice.

The value of understanding that struggle is a part of the learning process.

The concept of spending 70% of practice time in the challenge zone for accelerated skill acquisition.

The effectiveness of drills in exaggerating skills and pushing the challenge zone.

The idea of making practice novel and interesting to maintain focus and enhance learning.

The importance of videoing oneself to track and see small improvements in skiing.

The concept of one percent improvements adding up over time.

The suggestion to focus on one key area of improvement per season.

The benefits of taking breaks and returning to challenging tasks with a refreshed mind.

The role of internal feedback loops in accelerating learning.

The impact of external feedback on motivation and the need for a balance.

The idea of setting up situations where learners can receive self-perpetuated feedback.

The concept of flow state and how to achieve it through a balance of challenge and comfort zone practice.

The importance of habit formation in skill development and the application to seasonal learning.

Transcripts

hi I'm Tom gelly and you're about to

watch a presentation on accelerated

learning and it's based on my own

experiences as well as research I've

done to help me improve my own skiing

and others all around the world

I'm a level 4 instructor I own big

picture skiing which is a company that

teaches people how to ski and improve

skiing online and so much of this stuff

is really important

so I want you to write down some notes

turn off your phone get rid of any

distractions because what you're about

to hear isn't very long but it's really

important

because if the thrill of getting better

with your skiing and whatever you do is

so rewarding and so if you want to

continue doing that over and over again

I suggest you listen to the key points

try it out this winter and if you uh do

well with it you're going to create a

habit that not only just gets you

through this winter with some progress

but then is repeatable for future

Seasons Beyond this one

so I hope you enjoy this and you get

something out of it and it helps

accelerate your learning and your

progression in your own scheme season

2023 coming up in Australia

and James Compton and I I said to him

hey James would you be interested in me

presenting some

information around learning and things

that I myself have kind of found have

helped over the years and of recent

with not only my own skiing but others

and so that's the that's kind of the

context of this and I really hope that

listening to this watching this you walk

away

with some ideas on

what to do this season to help your own

skiing improve and others

a quick brief history

and you might understand why this is in

I'm putting it in here but basically I

started Alpine skiing when I was 22

years old

and so I did a bit of cross-country

skiing growing up but skiing was you

know I didn't do racing or anything like

that so I came to it later in life but

really fell in love with it

and then you know not too long after uh

2009 I got my level four

Alpine certificate so sort of over this

course of sort of eight back to back

Winters

I ended up with my full cert and then

was headed to um into ski a couple of

years later for for Telemark skiing and

so I say that because

um that's definitely you know from what

I've unders understand like a fairly

fast journey in

taking a sport and really improving my

skills at it and not only my own skills

but the ability to teach

so with that aside I'm going to just

give you some things that I think uh

personally I've found helped help to

understand and help to actually action

as well as what some really smart people

in the world have figured out in terms

of learning and uh might even talk a

little bit about about Flow State

but the first thing to realize is like

getting better most of it feels like a

struggle like that's a really important

thing to get up front because I think

you talk to any great athlete great

business person whatever it wasn't all

Easy Street to get there in fact like

usually far from it so

first of all you just want to understand

this is a good thing

say you're you're in the middle of the

season and you're trying to work on

something or you're trying to work on

something with another person and it

feels like a struggle it means you're in

the right place okay

um and

like when we are struggling with

something it actually primes the brain

with chemicals to help us problem solve

so

getting in that space gets you the the

juice is Flowing so when you're sort of

agitated annoyed struggling

these are good things that

um will lead perhaps not right in that

moment but will lead to something

changing uh soon after

so with that

um if if struggling is kind of important

and and that's just part of the process

something I found out more recently in

terms of practice or training is that

most people don't spend

their time as wise as they should for

for Accelerated learning and faster

skill acquisition

so with this chart

uh this is this is showing what is more

an ideal split up of your time of

practice so say you have

um the morning three hours

you want to warm up so get things moving

but only spend 10 of those say three

hours or two and a half hours doing that

okay so get get things moving then you

want to actually get get into this 70

challenge Zone

um so yeah spend 70 of your time with

skills that are just outside of your

current sort of ability

okay and I'll get into what like how far

out of your current comfort zone you

need to get for it to be in this in this

challenge Zone and it's not much but you

want to spend most of the time

challenging yourself in the deep end for

one of a sort of a better phrase

and then in this in this time you want

to spend the last bit of it sort of more

back in your comfort zone so 20 of the

time in your comfort zone and what it

seems to be is people spend

they do it Opposite they'll warm up for

Temps at a time and then they'll spend

70 of their time in the comfort zone and

then at the end of that or somewhere in

there they'll go oh I'll just challenge

myself a little bit oh that was pretty

hard and then come back into the comfort

zone that's not where

the learning really happens and back to

like struggling you in this in this area

here you don't usually struggle but so

many people go oh I can do a short turn

down Ballroom pretty well I'll go there

and I'll just you know because that's

that's my comfort zone I can I can work

on it in in that space instead of

perhaps going well I actually really

don't like doing it down high noon that

that bottom bit

and and spending yeah most of your time

doing that so this is like a really

important thing to first uh like get

wrap your head around and it comes from

like one of the guys that basically

talks about this he is one of a handful

of people that can juggle about 13

things in the air at once so he was in

the Cirque du Soleil and the way he

approached getting better at stuff was

seven percent of his time challenging

his uh his skills

so in in skiing since we're all left

skiing

a great way to kind of challenge

yourself spend time in the challenge

zone is drills

and you know a lot of the time we give

drills to students if we're teaching

them but very often we don't do enough

drills ourselves and drills are great

because they exaggerate things

like say this in rigor drill here

exaggerating like edge angle flexion of

the inside leg to really big degree more

than you know perhaps a normal physical

range of movement you're going through

um perhaps going at a slower pace so

changing the timing of how you're

usually

receiving things cool yeah so drills are

great for exaggerating all these uh

different things

um sometimes it might be facing your

fear of like skiing on one one ski

but

outside of that this 70 of the time

spent in this challenging zone of what

you're doing

you don't have to do it in terms of like

like I said the exact the example of

Ballroom so an easier blue run versus

the harder blue run like High Noon you

don't have to do something that's really

like scary difficult or scary

challenging okay that's one one thing it

could just be actually slowing it like

right down so even

the challenging you rushing things so

you do it's really detailed slow snow

plows trying to work on turning your leg

or something like that but but the the

uh the main message here is get out of

your comfort zone

do more time

uh spent bit doing that stuff and I

think personally drills are uh some of

the best

so there's there's all you really need

to challenge yourself

um based on some research to

like get yourself uh stimulated and to

put yourself in the in that challenging

your skill uh sort of level and it's

really small

like not much

um which is kind of nice to know you

don't have to be

right like going that much faster or you

know changing things that much to really

get a benefit

and accelerate things

so I like this number and I even think

about it in terms of just my general

life

um because like like in terms of

business like if I've got to take on

something if it's like four percent out

of my kind of comfort zone of what I'm

currently doing if my business or

somewhere around there

I go that's that's uh that's that's good

that's going to challenge how I

currently do things and I'm okay with

that so it's kind of like this cool

number to um to think about so that's

all you need to do to uh to reap some

benefits there

because what it does that that four

percent often is it it sort of Peaks

your curiosity and makes the

experience kind of novel

so this is like a frame grab from me

doing some retraction extension turns

um in SilverStar in fact Luke I don't

know he might have even filmed this one

um now like retraction extension turns

I'm I'm way low in the transition than I

do for for normal turns especially for

the speed I was going not that fast

and so I was exaggerating things and

it's it's definitely like really

absorbing

when you do that when you are

exaggerating things and doing them in a

different way that challenges what you

normally habitually do you become

curious and and what's going on

um so that was a really bad spelling

mistake there but uh yeah make things

novel because this keeps you focused and

that's one thing that people talk about

like all the time in terms of learning

something you've got to be focused so

like right now

have you you know looking at your

computer screen not having your phone on

you know screen facing up like those

sorts of things this day and age it's so

easy to get distracted and lose focus

uh being a training group and your

friend starts talking to you all those

sorts of sorts of things get in the way

of like creating a flow state

and being able to really maximize your

practice time and get better at

something

so keywords I'll just say here is like

like like this make it novel

make it interesting so you're curious

with what you're doing

key part in uh in working on learning

something and and especially for guests

too right thinking because I'm also

talking about this in terms of teaching

like don't just repeat the same hold

same old like

because it'll come across to the person

as

um like they'll sense that so keep

things interesting for for them too and

it only has to be four percent you're

not trying to put people in scary

situations that sort of thing just just

a little bit how do they comfort zone

so I thought it's worth import uh it's

worth bringing up uh like training so

training clinics

trying is important to go and do but

it's also important to practice without

interruption and so

I guess I'm speaking to people here who

are chronic

um like training Clinic junkies and they

think more training clinics equals I'm

going to get better and listen to more

and more different people I'm going to

get better that's not necessarily but

true or in a condensed period such as

this upcoming ski season

uh if you you'd be better off kind of

finding someone that you gel with or one

person even if you don't if they give

you just one good idea

taking that idea going away and working

on it yourself

without interruption because you know

myself running clinics

there's you know there's all these

people coming along so I've got to sort

of change and think about it has this

guy's got something out of it has this

guy has this girl got something out of

it I need to constantly sort of maybe

change the message that that might have

worked well for him but not for her

but but if you're a clinic junkie you

tend to like get distracted and keep

thinking the next thing that's going to

be said

is the most important thing so you kind

of keep discarding ideas instead of

taking one going away and working on it

so

putting that in there just to remember

yeah it just uh can throw you off your

um your practice and improvements in the

season

this one is uh is super cool and I think

really important to

um keep in mind it's got to do with

expectations

like one percent improvements in

whatever you're doing add up pretty fast

and so how might that look so you go out

you're working on your short turns and

out of that whole so maybe you know hour

or even half an hour you go out before

before work

you feel like

you know

half of half of uh one run out of six

runs was half you know good you felt the

thing that you needed to feel that is

all you need to know you're improving

so many people come back and focus on

the the negatives

and the things that didn't go well and

then they still keep focusing on on

those areas and that they're not getting

better faster because you're comparing

yourself to other people and if you look

at video for example and you know the

video is hard because hard to make

things look really different habits are

hard to break but if you can see a one

percent Improvement

in a video or you know out of a whole

entire time you've got some uh some

changes that's all you need because it

adds up

and I think there's a good story the

British cycling team for example before

the London Olympics they had a new team

manager coach and they basically worked

on all these one percent things

like the materials that they were making

their uniforms out of getting everyone

really properly set up on their bikes

like everyone on the same

eating plant sleeping plan when they'd

go away on camps they'd bring their own

pillows like all these like small things

that seemingly unrelated to these one

percenters added to them totally kicking

our ass in uh in the Olympics

so one percent improvements add up

that's all you're really looking for

which to take some kind of uh pressure

off yourself

so on that I don't think enough people

video themselves

make sure you take time find a video

partner someone that you can trade uh

you know phone videos with because no

one's got an excuse anymore everyone's

got a got a phone so you can video

yourself so make sure you get out there

and do this because

you know what you think you're doing

versus what's happening in reality often

are really different that's one and then

two

you want to be able to kind of track and

see the one percenters perhaps you you

go out there and you're working on your

arm position your pole plants whatever

it is your stance

and that's the one thing you're trying

to do when you watch video and you focus

just on that compared to the last time

you did it

with the video you're more likely to be

able to capture say that one percent

that time when you did get it right

and so you can focus on it so make sure

you video yourself

so this is just one of my on online

students from this this season and it's

probably three or four days apart

and this is before a drill gave him so

he's working on this up and over drill

uh in between the two shots and you know

pretty much the same point past the

camera yes that's a bit blurry but you

can see this this subtle change which he

felt as ginormous change

um is visible and um so you know he was

he he felt it we can see it it's kind of

measurable these things all help lead to

you like like a confirmation of yes

I'm going to keep doing this process

what got me from here to here I spent

you know an hour each day doing this

drill really focusing on the key

elements that make it a success and then

I did a free ski run it looked like that

because you're trying to build

like if you follow this kind of formula

you'll start building habits because if

this season you start to be able to

change things you do it differently you

don't go to every single clinic but you

do go to some and then you go away and

practice and you focus you get video and

you just think about small improvements

and you don't challenge yourself too

much but you challenge yourself a little

bit

and it all starts working out you're

going to remember season 2023 and go I'm

going to repeat that and then so you're

going to do it again and then you're

going to get it another change in a

different part of your skiing again and

again and again and then you look back

five years

ten years time and maybe now you are on

the demo team and or you know you're uh

you're in the threadbo media you know

they want you to ski in front of the

camera because you're the best uh best

most smoothest looking skier out there

whatever your goal is but

that all these things will lead to

building habits uh in your

like the way you perceive your skiing

um sorry the way you perceive like

getting things done so um yeah pay

attention to that

so pretty short uh presentation here but

it's not

rocket science it's just some stuff that

I've learned and uh has worked for me

over time so first of all the

expectations part I put that in more to

do with this like looking for one

percent gains

um and and really being like okay with

that don't expect to be improving

massively all the time

um also that you don't have to be really

macking it down the hill or really

challenging yourself seriously to get to

get some change it's as little as four

percent in fact this is kind of a sweet

spot around four percent

which yeah makes makes it uh it's not as

daunting

remember that struggling is part of the

process

so yeah you got to feel like uh yeah

this if the struggle is not there then

you're not challenged you're not doing

probably enough enough of this but also

remember if it's a real struggle perhaps

you're pushing that four percent point

maybe a little too far

really try and remember to spend 70 of

your practice time challenging your

skills uh like instead of 70 of your

time being in your comfort zone so you

know your time is precious you're

working you're working working and then

you get a chance to actually have a

break and uh you know or take a day off

a morning off

don't just go do the same old same old

if you want to get better

push yourself spend seven minutes time

70 of your time pushing yourself and

then come back and finish in that uh

that that easier sort of comfort zone

spot

uh there's that four percent and then

Focus just remember like

yeah just just like I can't I needed to

get away from uh what I was doing down

at my house today to write this like go

over and make sure my presentation was

right

if I kept getting interrupted it's going

to be all over the shops the same with

your skiing like you know it's great to

go skiing with your friends but if you

when you're going and doing your runs

don't get distracted focus on on what's

going on and find stuff that is novel so

that comes back to that's the same as

this challenge thing so working on a

drill within what you're doing that is

slightly challenging uh pushing the

terrain or the speed

um either up or down really really

important there and yeah video yourself

make sure you video yourself people do

not I think do that enough to keep

themselves

honest

um

great so that's really all I wanted to

talk about before this season and

hopefully give you some ideas on yeah

how to approach the winter and if you're

not you know if something you're working

on is your teaching you can utilize this

stuff to help your guests

um yeah especially if they're motivated

you've got into school kids

like novel things really interesting

things are going to make it

you know the kids are going to learn

faster they're going to have a more

interesting time

um and that's what I was going to say

the last thing about about Flow State

people have maybe you know you've heard

of this like getting in in the flow and

that sort of thing and in Flow State

people report you know things slowing

down like the Matrix you can see things

coming make reactions sort of like like

you've got time

um anyway some some research on that

shows there's these sort of stages that

people go through to to hit that flow

state

and one of them is this struggling bit

and so this struggling bit occurs but

then usually uh what happens just after

that is almost this release of of like

getting out of so say you've been so

I'll just give a skateboarding sample

you can't do a kickflip you're there

you're trying to kickflip kick kickflip

kickflip for like half an hour you do

like 150 of them some of them you get

right some of them not and you're there

like oh exhausted you have a break

what really helps trigger the next part

where you actually often will get into

flow is you go and do something

completely different and in within your

comfort zone so say you could do Ollies

you then go skate for 10 minutes just

doing Ollies totally enjoying it

something that's well within your

comfort zone

come back

go through the challenge one again you

will find what has happened is there's

been chemical reactions in your brain

that have changed and released uh

certain chemicals that help you learn it

helps block out like that that critical

thinking part of your brain like oh

you're not doing it right oh you're

doing this that's the stuff so you come

back to the challenging task and it

often goes better

now if you think about that that relates

really well to the 70

challenge chunk

20 comfort zone so you spend a shot load

of time

challenging doing short turns at a much

faster Rhythm than you used to then you

go and you spend 20 you know 10 minutes

doing short turns of the rhythm you're

used to

then come back again suddenly it gets

easier so there's a good little kind of

formula uh that goes in there to help

you know sort of almost hack the Flow

State a little bit but you can't get in

there if you just

stick within your comfort zone

thanks for uh for tuning in and I'll uh

if anyone's got questions be uh great uh

hear from you so you can come off mute

if you like and or just let me know what

what you're perhaps thinking from that

you're going to add into your

training this year or your way of

approaching the ski season anyone kind

of

does this triggered any thoughts on that

front like ah I'm gonna do that yeah hey

look thanks so much Tom uh heap of great

great information there to help me out

as uh thinking about how we approach the

season and uh quite a lot of information

I think if each of us has one one take

away from that then it's been worthwhile

and certainly for me it's been thinking

about sorry I've got the kids in the

background

the the one for me is definitely

thinking about that 70 of the time that

I'm out out skiing in my own time 70

should be trying to get better because I

always I always think there's three

states of mind that I can have when I'm

skiing

um one is to perform two is to develop

or three is to cruise so cruising just

not really thinking about anything just

going with it developing thinking about

thinking about an aspect of your scheme

that yeah you're trying to work on a

development perform is not thinking

about one specific thing but trying to

absolutely ski to the best of your

ability and I think maybe I need to

think about the percentages that I'm I'm

making to those zones across season

because yeah particularly for myself in

switching jobs in recent years my times

are even time on scenario is even more

of a premium I need to get more more

value from that time so that will

certainly yeah yeah that's been been

fighting worthwhile there

yeah totally I I loved hearing that just

knowing like some kind of rough numbers

was was helpful it's like right I know

I've got an hour

I'm gonna spend 40 minutes of that doing

that is harder uh to you know stuff

that I know I don't really like doing

because the mistakes always happen

but you just got to go through that

um to yeah to improve uh Nick have you

got a takeaway you're gonna implement

I only just joined in the last couple of

minutes mate so I didn't hear the whole

thing but um just I think alongside with

James the

um like spending a certain amount of

time trying hard stuff

um certainly lines up with a lot of

research I've been doing uh as part of

the demo team for uh the next sort of

uh teaching section of the apsi manual

um there's a lot of sort of research in

Neuroscience that you yeah you need a

certain error rate to trigger

neuroplasticity

um and it's somewhere somewhere roughly

around what you've said there so um

yeah to hear you mention that

can you think of a personal example of

when you perhaps just did that

you know maybe it was someone you skied

with just forced you for that whole

entire morning you're like this is way

out of my depth but then maybe like that

afternoon or the next like a number of

like yeah heaps of times yeah um

actually uh we're skiing with Sam Robbo

and burbio a couple of weeks ago

um

yeah and he's just sort of

um

we're just talking about skiing he's

like hey you should try and clear your

inside leg a little bit more

um

and yeah after like sort of watching

Robo do it a bit and then I sort of took

it away for a couple of days and was

like okay I'm gonna go and just go and

practice this and practice this and

practice this and yeah there was

definitely a lot of times for us like I

wasn't clearing it at the right rate or

something or you know I ended up on my

inside ski or whatever but it up

it up it up and then

eventually kinda

stops you start to get it right got the

Breakthrough yeah

yeah that's what I like reflecting back

I'm thinking why did that seem to go

faster working on that thing and I think

back to it and

the situation the people whatever it was

kind of

force me into

that uh that challenge zone for longer

Brian how about you

um I'm

reminded of something from a a different

sector which is the

and I'm old enough to have the

perspective the which was the do it on

be alone and be uninterrupted and that

was I know that was two separate points

but they're related and there's there's

a bit of uh theory about

um particularly creative

situations or or research and

development of new ideas

um in the way the brain works and a

suggestion that with the Advent of email

and text messages and a whole range of

things that across so many different

industrial sectors or commercial sectors

um now influence the way people spend

their lives that we've lost the

creativity that comes from a 45 minute

period uninterrupted focusing on a

single thing

and and over the last and that's you

know this isn't new news 10 or 15 years

ago this was understood in large

corporations started reacting to that

because they could see it affecting

productivity in the areas of their

business which were you know trying to

create new things like Project work

software development things where you

need to

to make a breakthrough of some sort and

A New Concept and learning to ski better

is another example of getting that

breakthrough so those two resonated with

something that I've heard as a you know

as a guy trying to run a bank you know

part of a bank for example and when you

posted the team are just spending their

life reacting to emails rather than

stopping and thinking about what they

really need to get right to get past

this struggle that they've dipped in and

out of

absolutely yeah that resonated for me

and it was useful to apply that to this

this weird thing that I don't actually

intend or have any aspiration to join

the demo team eventually Nick but

um I do actually have an aspiration to

improve my skiing a bit beyond where I

am so

um that's right not getting distracted

by the fact that I quite like skiing

around with us with a class maybe I've

got to spend 45 minutes skiing on my own

yeah absolutely and do you know what

when you're with the class we over teach

so much of the time because we we take

that role so seriously that we presented

oh God there's still an hour to go I

can't just stand here and let them

practice actually as long as they're

given some novelty in the task is sort

of set that's exactly what we all need

and you can work on your own thing that

guests can work on their own thing but

yeah people need that Focus

and weak as an instructor can be a

distraction if we're constantly in their

ear a lot of the time and

I'll just share one more thing on that

Archie my five-year-old uh really into

soccer really into sports

I've realized I've perhaps been a little

bit too heavy in terms of uh external

feedback to him on hey great dribbling

great kick

instead of leaving him be and trying to

let the outcome trigger his own internal

like that felt really good I'll do it

again because I don't want him to rely

on me going great

kick or someone else great kick and then

no one's saying great kick and then

suddenly like oh I'm not interested in

this anymore

so students your ski students whether

they're just snow playing whatever it is

I think you've got to be careful

try you're trying to set up a situation

where they

uh get the self perpetuated yeah

internal feedback we we all want to be

the one

sort of taking credit for it at times

and yeah James you got someone to

mention there

yeah so setting up setting up um you

know intrinsic feedback loops are so so

important to accelerate learning and you

know I think we we all know how it's

quite easy to talk about planet junkies

and we've all come across feedback

junkies who who you know will have on a

course and they'll come down and run and

they're just waiting for the trainer to

say something to them and we've allowed

students in a lesson who come down and

they want the trainer to to uh to give

them that feedback they want that

reassurance from from their voice from

the professional that they're they're

employing or that they're going through

for training and um

but the the real skill in getting them

to take ownership from their own

learning is uh anything setting up those

those leaps of feedback that don't come

from the trainer that they can tap into

after the lesson in in their own

personal training time which should

account for way more than their their

time with a trainer or a teacher and but

if we don't set those up it's quite

difficult for them to know whether

they're they're achieving what they're

sending out to achieve or not and it

might be

like the sound the skis are making it

might be the tracks that are left in the

snow it might be a particular

um feeling that they're experiencing

against the boot or from a um from

muscular effort then they can

um we wouldn't have been tapping to

ceremony of theirs and really the last

one we resort to should be from the

trainer mods with once we've kind of

once we got them through that cognitive

phase of learning they're in that

associative phase where they're

practicing lost

um trying to trying to encourage them to

to tap into things that aren't new is so

important

exactly yeah

um and you know I think recognizing if

you're that person because I think we

all you know I know I've turned to

people and go did what did you think was

that kind of good like we've all been

there I'm like yeah yeah we've all been

there but yeah hopefully this there's

just this little sort of slideshow of

things just you can come back to it

check it check it check it are you doing

some of the things in there

that perhaps they're going to lead to to

faster you know learning growth and what

you're doing

um yeah anyone else want to do a final

sort of takeaway from

this discussion

um yeah just what you said about like

trying something hard for a period of

time and struggling with it and then

going back to something else that you

know you can do and you know is fun like

I've had a lot of experience with that

skateboarding especially so like if I

was learning to kickflip or heel flip

or like all of the tricks I've learned

I've had like maybe a morning period

where I've tried to do it 100 200 300

times and then go on all right let's

just go and do fun stuff that I already

know how to do for a little bit

then I'll come back in an hour's time

and then maybe three or four different

tricks I've done it that first time

after the break and it's click magically

happened

yeah yeah

so now you know that I went there's a

formula yeah yeah yeah it's kind of like

like yeah you knew it in the time you

were kind of

sort of stumbling on it but but yeah

there's some pretty smart people that

have basically figured this out by

studying some of the extreme athletes in

the world

uh this guy's name Stephen kotler by the

way that's done a lot of this flow

research and that's what he's

found there's these certain patterns and

so there's a little hacks you can sort

of do to help repeat the process and

we're all creatures of habit that that

habit part there I reckon that's a

really important one because if you've

learned all this now and you've got this

season

this season is a chance to start

developing a seasonal habit of getting

better in one area and I think I would

also suggest choose probably one thing

for That season so I know some some

Seasons I came in I was like I'm just

going to get better at a really good

Dynamic short turn

like that's 70 of where when I go skiing

I'm going to be doing that type of turn

and then challenging it so uh in that

season try and develop yeah this recipe

a habit so then you just naturally just

come back in next year you don't have to

think about as much you just not you

gravitate towards got 30 minutes off I

go do this

you don't even like think about anything

else you just know what to do and uh and

it starts happening so yeah I saw you

nodding your head with the kickflips

there as well Luca's like oh I didn't

realize you skated about it a lot but

yeah that's why so like just so you know

more records have been broken in extreme

sports than any anything else in such a

short period of time

and part of what it is is because

extreme sports naturally

always that they're usually challenging

us that little bit as soon as you start

doing it

you're already kind of hitting that four

percent Zone

uh of of challenging your skill but you

get to sort of levels with perhaps some

of the people on the call here at

don't fall into complacency

do things faster

you know Rhythm faster speed trickier

terrain harder snow

constrain yourselves do it now with no

polls do it now on one ski

and that that'll lead to uh to growth

great

all right everyone thanks very much for

joining Thanks James for uh the

opportunity to to do this and uh yeah

I'd love to hear it be cool to do like a

season and wrap-up one and see who's

who's done well and uh yeah what they've

what they've achieved and what's worked

worked there

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