Thursday, April 12, 2018
Thursday April 12 assignment
Here is the video we will watch today in class. For full credit, leave two connections to what Kreek talks about in terms of success and failure, as it relates to Newport's concept of deliberate practice. Then leave leave reactions to the comments from two of your classmates.
I listed my examples below too.
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Kreek talks about having a positive attitude about failure. I think this connects to what Newport says about deliberate practice, especially when he talks about dedication to deliberate practice. If you are working hard to attain a skill, you are going to fail and fail often. But the key is to have a positive attitude on failure, for the more fails, the closer you are moving toward success.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, in schools and in our culture, we stigmatize mistakes. This gives the illusion that success can come without failure (as in the stupidest slogan ever: "Failure is not an option."). That simply isn't the truth.
Another connection from the TED Talk to Newport's book is found in how Kreek is caught up in a "Winner-Takes-All" market. As an Olympic athlete, you have one job: win a medal. As a rower, Kreek has one key talent that makes him so good he can't be ignored. But when his main competitor shows up and starts beating him, Kreek does what most of us do in this situation: he is angry, pouts, and tries to discredit his competitor. But Kreek's breakthrough is when he discovers that he can learn so much from his competitor. This is important, for it allows him to keep what Newport refers to as "open gates" for new opportunities to come his way.
ReplyDeleteKreek talks about this idea of seeking failure then hovering right below it. This relates directly to deliberate practice because knowing where your limit is and going right below it stretches your abilities and expands your career capital.
ReplyDeleteAnother connection I had was when Cal Newport talks about talking opportunities in you career capital because that’s what Kreek does. He took the opportunity to learn from his teammate who was better than him so he could grow. I believe Kreek takes Newport’s deliberate practice a step further with his concept of the “Happy Fail.” By failing happy we are able to see past the failure to the career capital/experiences we’ve gained.
I agree with that also. By failing happy we are able to grow instead of quit.
DeleteI agree with you on that more people need to stretch and expand. Because more benefits will come from that rather than staying at your limit.
DeleteI agree as well because by taking the opportunity to learn from someone else, that made him better.
DeleteKreek said that he and his friends chose to take the slow route across the ocean because they knew they would learn more from that experience. Usually it is to our benefit to take the slow or difficult way because through that process we will be able to learn new skills and improve upon them, gaining more career capital.
ReplyDeleteWhen Kreek talked about hovering right below your limit of failure it reminded me of Newport's example of Jordan Tice. Tice uses that same concept of hovering below failure when he practices guitar. He plays at a speed that challenges him and continues to increase the speed until it is to his liking. Both examples show how deliberate practice is necessary if you want to continue improving and be so good they can't ignore you.
I agree with your connection of Jordan Tice and Kreek. I think they are the perfect examples of how helpful deliberate practice is in achieving goals, and how necessary it is as well.
DeleteKendra I agree with your first paragraph that taking the slow and more difficult way offers us more skills. But I feel that too often people take the fast and easier way to get things done. Which makes people miss out on many things.
DeleteKreek states that he took the slow way to improve himself. Garry Kasparov is a perfect example of what Kreek is talking about. Newport explains through Garry’s story that the hard way will push you to do your best. Also, it will lead you to master a skill with time. Garry took the long way to success with many hours of difficult training for the same reason Kreek rowed across the ocean and it was to learn.
ReplyDeleteThe advice Kreek’s dad gives him about how “he can be whatever he wants as long as he is the best because there is always a need for the best.” This relates to the triangle of great work. For both examples, you need valuable and rare skills to become the best.
I agree with the comparison between Kasparov and Kreek. Both of them took the long path to achieve a goal, whether it was chess grandmaster or rowing across the ocean.
DeleteI find your connection of Kreek's dad to the triangle of great work to be interesting. I think the triangle that his dad pictured of was actually a straight line: you create rare and then valuable skills to then create great work (being the best). But the reality of the great work triangle is that it is a (continuous) triangle: you create rare and then valuable skills to create great work, but the cycle MUST continues until the rare and valuable skills turns the great work into great AND rare and valuable work. That's when you become so good they can't ignore you, unlike Kreek's dad's idea of the best, a product of just great work.
DeleteKreek said they deliberately took the boat instead of flying. This ties into the book because deliberate practice will only make you and your skills more valuable. Taking the easy way out, like flying, isn't going to help you grow in any way.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think he means by "It doesn't have to be fun to be fun" is that the moment in which he is rowing it isn't fun, but the moment he crosses the finish line and wins a gold medal with his 8 closest friends at the olympics, it is fun.
I like the quote and agree with something not being fun. Grinding to master a skill is definitely not fun, but seeing all the hard work pay off is the fun part.
DeleteWhen Kreek talked about taking the "slow route" rather than the fast one. This made me connect what he said to the book because taking the slow and more challenging way offers greater benefits. In the book it gets the point across that as you develop more skills you will offer more rare and valuable skills to the world. That is exactly what Kreek did when he chose to take the slow way across the ocean. He gained experience and conducted experiments that nobody else can offer.
ReplyDeleteKreek also talked about failure. That failure can be good for you. That failure has different emotions that come along with it. But it's up to you how you want to see failure. Just like in the book, it says that wether you follow your passion or don't you are likely to seek failure. But you need to take that failure and see the positive things that came out of it. Such as it offered you new skills, you gained experience, etc.
I agree that people need to see failure as a positive instead of a negative.
DeleteKreek said that he failed. He failed at rowing, but then he won the Olympics. He failed before he could succeed. That is deliberate practice. He worked hard to get good and he did not always succeed at what he was doing. Just like Newport said, Kreek just had to practice. To seek failure.
ReplyDeleteAdam Kreek's father said "Adam, you can do anything in the world that you want. Just be the best at it because there is always niche for the best." I think that this ties to the book, because you need deliberate practice to get good at something. You can be the best at anything with this mindset.
I agree with you on the relation of what his dad said and it tying into the part of the book about deliberate practice. And how you need to work to be the best at it. Also that it doesn't happen to most people so they really need to put extra work into it.
DeleteI like how his failure ties in with the whole concept of deliberate practice. Every time he failed, he failed upwards and kept practicing.
DeleteKreek talks about having a rival with his best competitor and having lunch with him one day. He asked what his secret was for success and the man replied, "I seek Failure." This is a great example of deliberate practice because you push yourself so hard that your body shuts down, but slowly you will start getting the hang of it.
ReplyDeleteIn our book Newport talks about figuring out what you have to offer the world rather than what the world has to offer you. This relates to what Kreek was talking about when he was explaining this conversation with the Viking, but he also talks about the capacity bubble. By letting the bubble grow and working really hard at what you do (deliberate practice) you will start to develop new skills that you'll also began to master and then have more to offer the world.
I agree to what Kylea is saying in her response. She has good points about mentioning the capacity bubble, developing new skills, and working hard.
DeleteI too, really liked the example of the bubble. It really gave a visual image as to this view of life and how stretching your boundaries can help you grow.
DeleteHe learned by looking and talking to someone else and so I agree with this because everyone should do it as well.
DeleteAccording to Kreek, he wanted to take the "slow route" so he could learn from his experiences. He encourages us to all take the slow route. He also says how important it is to learn throughout life.
ReplyDelete"It doesn't have to be fun, to be fun." This is a quote that I agree with. In So Good They Can't Ignore You, Cal Newport implies that nothing is fun until you're good at it. So, this quote from Jake Wetzel shows that.
This video is all about seeking failure. In life you have to fail before you can succeed. This is illustrated in SGTCIY and in this video really well. Kreek claims that you have to work hard and push yourself until you can't possibly go any farther. You learn through failure. That is what life is about.
I agree with you on the quote too. Sometimes things that are fun aren't always fun because it needs work to be fun and successful. Also I think that it ties into the book perfectly as well.
DeleteHe first talked about 'taking the slow route' and how important it is because many people think they need to do things as fast as possible and get it over with. Taking the slow route will help people to develop the skills that they need for the career that they are in. Going fast will get people where they want to go, but because they did not develop the skills needed to succeed, they will not be able to improve.
ReplyDeleteThe voyage across the Atlantic was a failure for Kreek because their boat flipped over and they had to be rescued in an emergency raft. Although this ambitious journey was a failure, it was a 'happy failure' for him because it allowed him to improve his skills and have a different outlook on life.
I agree that taking the slow route is what will help people develop the skills they need. Speed isn't everything, especially when it comes to the development of rare and valuable skills.
DeleteKreek talks about the "Happy Failure" and relates it to the time his boat flipped while conducting research. He says that most of his life occurs at this "Happy Failure" state. This connects to Newport's deliberate practice. Kreek is similar to Jordan Tice in that he enjoys stretching himself.
ReplyDeleteI like this connection between Kreek and Tice. They both often failed, but they both learned from it and became better because of it.
DeleteWhen Kreek talks about taking the boat across the ocean, I like how he says it's okay to take the slow route. Not everyone is going to take the fast route or even be able to take the fast route. They knew that they would learn more, but in order to do this they would of had to have some deliberate practice.
ReplyDeleteKreek talks about failing, and then goes right into talking about how he won the Olympics and what he learned the most. "It doesn't have to be fun to be fun." I feel like this means the experience isn't always fun at the present time, but when you look back later in life, you'll realize how much fun it actually was.
I agree with your statement on the fact that it's not fun when you're in the midst of it, but when you look back you miss it because you realize it was fun.
DeleteI could not agree more on taking the slower route on things like Kreek and his crew did on their journey across the ocean. The learning experience and like you said, deliberate practice was put to use for sure in this trip.
DeleteKreek also talked about the advice that his teammate gave him when he wanted to beat him. He said that he would make himself fail purposely while working out. Kreek mentioned how the best way to improve yourself is to stay just below your limit and to stretch yourself. He began to see failure in a new light and began to embrace it.
ReplyDeleteKreek says that we should embrace the lack of attainment. If we don't get something right away, that makes it more worthwhile to work towards achieving a goal. This connects to Newport's explanation of becoming a craftsman. In order to achieve anything, like winning the olympics, you need to be patient and enjoy not attaining something.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this is a great point, goals that are attainable overnight, are not great achievements.
DeleteCameron I completely agree with you on that if we don't reach our goal almost immediately there is something within every good craftsman that makes them want to work harder at achieving that goal. A craftsman in my eyes can see the big picture from the beginning so they know their work has value no matter where the work may take them.
DeleteKreek explained how his teammate, Jake Witzel, seeks failure. An Olympian seeks to fail every week at least once within his workouts. Kreek's teammate continues to say that if you are not failing you are not growing and getting better, to seek that next level of success. This is exactly what deliberate practice is sought out to be. Newport, in So Good They Can't Ignore You, beats this subject into the readers head; that you have to seek failure like Kreek says, "make the most of it," take the failure with pride and keep going with your deliberate practice and keep pushing to be better. Deliberate practice is a proven key to success.
ReplyDeleteAnother key idea that Kreek talks about is slowing down and taking the long route. By doing this his team and himself were able to learn how to recover from any situation that may arise within the long rowing trip across the ocean. This ties into Newports book as well with patience. You have to remain patient with your mission or career as you experience new opportunities.
I love how he uses an Olympian as an example and he relates to deliberate practice so well. Not one Olympian can say they got where they are without deliberate practice.
DeleteI also agree it is important to take the slow route. By doing this, one can learn more and is able to enjoy the journey it takes to master and gain skills.
DeleteWhen Kreek talked about taking the slow route, I found it to be a relief. I think society makes life out to be a straight drive on the fast lane; you go to school, get a job, get married, have kids, etc. These are all 'successes'. We also overlook the fact that life is also a drive on an unpaved road that continually is paved with unexpected sharp turns and curves: not getting the grade you wanted in that class, getting turned down at your dream job, getting a divorce, having a miscarriage, etc. These are 'failures'. Life is a combination of both of these kind of drives, along with small 'failures', such as making it to work late. Since life is mostly failures, then, we have to enjoy them and not ignore them in the fast line (ignoring the failures and focusing on the successes). Otherwise the drive of life will go by too fast.
DeleteKreek mentioned that his father told him that he can be anything in the world he wants as long as he is the best at it. This connects to the title of "So Good They Can't Ignore You," and the main idea of the book. Newport relates everything mentioned in the book back to the idea of working towards being better than all your competition by being so good you can't be ignored.
ReplyDeleteNewport's concept of deliberate practice (stretch and destroy) connects to Kreek seeking failure. As Kreek mentions, the place where the greatest growth occurs is right below your limit. Focusing on the area right below your limit as a means to eventually overcome the limit is deliberate practice. It is stretching yourself to improve and to eventually destroy.
I also like the idea Kreeks talks about, seeking failure to grow, and I think that is a great way to become so good they can't ignore you.
DeleteI like that you made that connection to the books title and what Kreek's dad said. It shows that hard work will circle back to the theme of the book.
DeleteI also agree with this and how the 'stretch and destroy' idea goes with the idea of happy failure. This really shows the outcome of deliberate practice and how failures can turn into successes.
DeleteMy favorite part of this talk is how Kreek doesn't speculate on how many of his experiences and situations are very far from ideal. Instead he looks for what is going to make him better in that situation, he looks for the thing that is going to give him a leg up from everyone else. I think this ties in with the idea of career capital, you may have a really sucky job, but if you find that one little thing that makes you better than, you can eventually buy yourself out of it. Also, I liked how he and his crew decided to not give into the negative questions from the media, they would only tell everyone how much fun they had and how much experience they gained, which I thought tied into one of the disqualifies for great work, because they were able to avoid that, their work was still great.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is impressive that Kreek is able to find a positive in even some of the worst experiences. I also think that how the crew answered the media’s question was a perfect example of great work, but I did not make that connection when first watching the video.
DeleteThis is also one of my favorite parts. Kreek doesn't fear advancement. Seizing opportunities is often seen in successful people. Not letting the negatives get in the way of your goal is fairly important. Failure only helps you grow and learn. This ties in with career capital as well.
DeleteWhen Kreek was talking about how the Viking told him that he picked one workout to fail at each week, I thought that was a perfect example of deliberate practice. The Viking had a purpose to what he was doing, and by doing it he was stretching his limits, and ultimately gaining new and valuable skills.
ReplyDeleteKreek talked about how he and his rowing mates wanted to take the long way across the ocean. They could've flown and taken the easy way, but they didn't because they knew that it would be better for them if they took the long way. This is very similar to how Jordan Tice practiced the guitar. He could've taken the easy way by getting the music and reading it off the page, but he didn't. He took long way, and learned to play songs by ear. By doing this he learned so much more than he would have if he had taken the easy road.
I agree with the Vikings failed workout as being a perfect example of deliberate practice also. It will make them have a better mindset on failure and how it takes lots of practice to do an intense workout.
DeleteThe choice to take the long route and how Jordan play the guitar was a good connection on showing how it would benefit them in the long run to have success.
DeleteKreek talks about happy failure. To have a positive attitude is the key to achieving your goal. It is important to have a good mindset on failure. Expecting to fail and to keep on going will only help you succeed.
ReplyDeleteKreek also gives his example of his journey with his friends across the Atlantic Ocean. He talks about how they needed to take their time to get to their destination. Rather than rushing to get there, they went slowly to get more out of the experience. I think this is an example of rule #4; think small, act big. They all had love for the ocean and decided to take a daring trip across.
Kreek mentions his crew going through the long route by choice. They did this because they get more experience and learn more throughout the process. This relates to developing your craftsmanship in SGTCIY.
ReplyDeleteAnother point in this video was facing failure in a positive manner. You always hear you should learn from your mistakes and this is another way to say it. If you screw up, and get back on your feet again to look at what you did wrong you can fix it. This relates to Cal Newport's ways of obtaining success.
Deliberate practice, as defined by Anders Ericsson, is an "'activity designed, typically by a teacher, for the sole purpose of effectively improving specific aspects of an individual's performance'" (83). This relates to the way Tice practices his guitar and Wetzel's workout regime such that he seeks failure and expands his limits every week. Both of them constantly expand their limits by using deliberate practice.
ReplyDeleteAnother concept explored by Kreek was the concept of a happy fail. This seems to be impossible since we were taught at a young age that failure is bad, and we should avoid it at all costs. However, the argument that Kreek made was that those who live to fail and do it happily are also the ones that grow constantly out of their preconceived limit bubble. Kreek even made the point that most of our lives contain failure, and having that 'happy fail' not only makes us happier, but also welcomes failure to expand our limits. Tice is a perfect example to illustrate the life of a happy failure: for at least a few hours every day, he plays his guitar to the point of perfection (but with a lot of small failures in the process). This was the difference between Newport and Tice: Newport was uncomfortable playing any piece he didn't know, while Tice welcomed it. Seeking failure is a good thing; it expands our limit bubble and makes us happier in the process.
I agree with this because the musician Jordan Tice is a good example of deliberate practice and how to improve your skills over time. He has to push past what he thinks he is able to do in order to be the best at what he does.
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