sometimes it’s better to focus on technique.
by bill reeb
“invest in loss” is a technique that helps us expand our knowledge and ability by setting our ego aside so that we can learn how to work better and get better. with invest-in-loss, the focus is on improving; whether you win or lose, whether you look bad or like a pro, whether you are embarrassed or held up as an example, the key is to improve.
more: work smarter, not harder | stop ignoring opportunities right in front of you | what a pro knows | don’t let opportunities become detours | what are you giving priority?
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don’t confuse investing in loss with “give up and don’t care.” these two phrases have nothing in common. while investing in loss still means you are trying, you are not restricting yourself to those approaches that give you the best chance of “winning.”
to be fair, i regularly struggle with this technique. i don’t struggle with the message, because it fits in with my belief of embracing failure, but i do struggle with its implementation.
because there is a competitive aspect to martial arts, the issue is accentuated in this environment. for instance, as a black belt, if i am teaching a lower-level belt a specific technique, shouldn’t i be able to do it better than he or she does? if i am engaged in a sparring match with that same person, shouldn’t i win the engagement if i am going to demonstrate that i am worthy of wearing my higher ranking of black belt?
the answer, though it might feel like it should be “yes,” is “no.” if i am always trying to “win,” that mindset will require me to limit myself to using only my strengths while rarely developing my weaknesses. if this is my approach, when my skills plateau or start to dwindle, which they will, then the only example i will be setting is that i am not worthy of wearing my black belt.
there is another aspect to this. it is about obtaining a more honest and accurate self-report as to where you are.
for example, let’s say i am being taught how to throw someone. there are steps to follow, like what body part to grab, how to grab it, integrating your body with theirs at the right place for the throw, using your body to create leverage, making sure the person being thrown is kept safe and so forth. however, if i am much bigger than the person i am about to throw, unless my focus is on investing in loss, i could easily call on my physical strength to execute the technique and mask the fact that i was improperly performing it. the problem is … on the day that i would be required to throw someone my size or larger, i wouldn’t have the requisite skills because i never learned the proper techniques in the first place. so, for me to learn how to throw someone well, i need to let the techniques i am trying to develop stand on their own in order to determine how well they are working. or, put another way, i need to try those new techniques with the mindset that if failure seems imminent, i will invest in loss, keep my ego in check and i will stay focused on executing the technique whether or not it works.
now, think about the techniques i have discussed in my posts. when you decide a technique is worth attempting, do it with an “invest in loss” attitude. don’t modify the technique to something that you are already comfortable doing because you think it has a better chance of success. work the technique, then let the wisdom from the work bubble up so that you can see how to leverage it to be of the greatest benefit to you. learning to work better often starts with the invest-in-loss attitude.
how are you investing in loss to uncover your real weaknesses so that you can take action now, to either strengthen them or mitigate their negative impact, before you rely on them to the point that they hurt you?
where can i apply the invest-in-loss technique to help me work better?