JKLTip Take a look at ways patterns have repeated themselves and what you can learn from them
Pattern recognition is really important. Patterns emerge that help us be better parents, investors, teachers, bosses, or athletes. If we want to grow a following on social media or improve our bench press, and diet pattern recognition helps a lot. No matter our learning goals, being more efficient with patterns will help us.
Patterns by definition repeat themselves in a predictable manner. Whether concrete or abstract patterns become a regularity. They become predictable.
There are many aspects of pattern recognition and pattern theory, but right now I am thinking of one particular thing that can help us achieve goals.
When we strive to better ourselves, to improve our business, or to learn something new there are often predictable things that get in the way. Appreciating how our patterns have repeated themselves for us can help us guard against our personal barriers.
Think of goals, or dreams you have for yourself. For the ones that you really seem to want, but keep giving up and restarting, what is getting in the way? In all likelihood, there will be patterns that emerge each time we try to achieve goals or learn something.
The first time we set out to accomplish a goal we should be taking note of why we slow down, why we burn out, and why we fail. Instead of giving up, if we really want it, we need to start again, but adjust to avoid the same patterns.
My Fitness Example
Let’s pull this around so that it is less abstract. Let’s make this pattern prevention program a little more tangible. I’ll use my fitness over the last ten years as an example.
I have a goal of getting into as good of shape as possible for my age. It’s something that I have started over and over again for the last ten years. Every time I start to build a foundation the same things start to happen.
I become less of a minimalist adding too many things physical, and psychological to my day. Slowly, I start to get busier at work and eat less. I don’t drink as much water throughout the day and tend to pay less attention to scheduling my calendar.
Slowly I start to feel a little less like going to the gym. The workouts themselves start to feel a little bit boring. Eventually I do less and less mobility and prehab work between workouts. And every time, every single time over the last ten years, this pattern has resulted in my giving up on the gym, or more likely injury.
So, this time I have started again. I’m a month into starting all over. Hopefully this time with a better plan to recognize and mitigate these patterns from repeating themselves, I’ll make it. If not, I’ll find new patterns to beat and I’ll be that much closer next time.
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