Day 201 of 365 - Dabbler, Obsessive or Hacker?
When I was recently introduced to definitions of those words from a different perspective, it was another eye opening moment for me. They were actually described as learning styles from an author of a book on Mastery. His name is George Leonard.
We all use each of those styles for learning in different areas of life and at different times, but we also have a dominant style we use most. Apparently in a room full of people, the typical split would be 1/3 of each type as dominant.
Dabblers are those who tend to flit around from one thing to another. They are easily distracted by the next new thing, but are not in it for the long haul. There are some areas where I can identify myself as a dabbler. One of those would be in what I consider creative activities. A number of times, I've tried some new activity, completed one project, and then never done it again. Examples for me would be a stained glass piece, a crochet afghan, a macrame plant hanger, a hooked rug. I liked them well enough while I was doing them, but couldn't see myself doing multiples.
Obsessives are all in! When they get interested in something, they decide they'll give it all their energy and attention. In the face of struggle, they double down on their efforts, pushing themselves so hard that they burn out. This has certainly been me in my academic years and also in a lot of my career years. For sure it was my style in the few years around clearing out a house, moving to an apartment and further downsizing our belongings. I'd have to admit this is my dominant style.
Hackers, on the other hand, might think something sounds fun or interesting, but they'll get around to it later. When they do, they will be keen, but only until they reach a level of reward or satisfaction that's comfortable. They get to a plateau and decide it's 'good enough' and they are done. I am a hacker in some areas for different reasons. For example, though I've done a lot of learning and implementing of health and nutritional strategies for myself, it's very much within my financial comfort zone. I have bought books to learn from and paid for supplements to try, but I'm not willing to spend large sums of money on specialized lab testing or consulting. When I reach a plateau, if my available resources can't help me troubleshoot, I move on to something else.
Think about yourself, and how you tend to learn. As mentioned, you are probably dominant in one style but also do the others at times. What's interesting about it is, that if you start to watch yourself, you can identify what you are doing. It really has to do with the comfort level of your brain.
If there is something you really want to master, when challenges arise become your own observer. Try not to bulldoze your way through. Try not to back off and quit. Instead, try to find a wise middle ground where your brain won't tell you that you are bored and done, or anxious and overwhelmed. We can learn to reassure our brains that change is safe, that most areas of our life actually remain stable, that it's just this one area where we're working on a change. When we can do that, mastery becomes a much more feasible option.
We all use each of those styles for learning in different areas of life and at different times, but we also have a dominant style we use most. Apparently in a room full of people, the typical split would be 1/3 of each type as dominant.
Dabblers are those who tend to flit around from one thing to another. They are easily distracted by the next new thing, but are not in it for the long haul. There are some areas where I can identify myself as a dabbler. One of those would be in what I consider creative activities. A number of times, I've tried some new activity, completed one project, and then never done it again. Examples for me would be a stained glass piece, a crochet afghan, a macrame plant hanger, a hooked rug. I liked them well enough while I was doing them, but couldn't see myself doing multiples.
Obsessives are all in! When they get interested in something, they decide they'll give it all their energy and attention. In the face of struggle, they double down on their efforts, pushing themselves so hard that they burn out. This has certainly been me in my academic years and also in a lot of my career years. For sure it was my style in the few years around clearing out a house, moving to an apartment and further downsizing our belongings. I'd have to admit this is my dominant style.
Hackers, on the other hand, might think something sounds fun or interesting, but they'll get around to it later. When they do, they will be keen, but only until they reach a level of reward or satisfaction that's comfortable. They get to a plateau and decide it's 'good enough' and they are done. I am a hacker in some areas for different reasons. For example, though I've done a lot of learning and implementing of health and nutritional strategies for myself, it's very much within my financial comfort zone. I have bought books to learn from and paid for supplements to try, but I'm not willing to spend large sums of money on specialized lab testing or consulting. When I reach a plateau, if my available resources can't help me troubleshoot, I move on to something else.
Think about yourself, and how you tend to learn. As mentioned, you are probably dominant in one style but also do the others at times. What's interesting about it is, that if you start to watch yourself, you can identify what you are doing. It really has to do with the comfort level of your brain.
If there is something you really want to master, when challenges arise become your own observer. Try not to bulldoze your way through. Try not to back off and quit. Instead, try to find a wise middle ground where your brain won't tell you that you are bored and done, or anxious and overwhelmed. We can learn to reassure our brains that change is safe, that most areas of our life actually remain stable, that it's just this one area where we're working on a change. When we can do that, mastery becomes a much more feasible option.
definately obsessed!
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