Learning Part 4 of 6 – Principles
How you learn something new
An excerpt from How To Become The Best at Anything.
Principles are cause and effect relationships. In other words, if this occurs then that happens. If that occurs then that doesn’t happen. I touch a hot pan on the stove, I burn my hand. I touch a cold pan on the stove, I don’t burn my hand. And I’m able to pick it up.
When I was working as a photographer for LMU and covering a basketball game, a fast break would occur, and the players would be running towards me. I already understood the process for this LMU’s basketball team’s fast break strategy (how their fast break plan works).
If player #1 has the ball the team will drive for a layup or dunk.
If player #2 has the ball that player will stop at the three-point line and put up a shot. If player #3 has the ball, the ball will be passed to players #1 or #2, and so on.
I already had learned this team’s process and principle for a fast break. This allowed me to anticipate their actions and have the appropriate camera and lens combination, and which player to follow-focus (actively focusing on a moving object).
I was able do this without consciously thinking about it because I had automated the procedure. Since I was manually focusing on their eyes, with a short telephoto lens (85mm f1.2), as they ran toward me on the basketball court, having the procedure automated allowed me to “get the shot.”
Up Next, Part 5 – Automaticity
