Seeking Failure

Seeking Failure. What does that mean? I listened to a story on NPR where they where speaking about how the 'great' ones all seek failure. They do not do the things they are comfortable with. They do the things they are not good at, over and over again. Until they are good at it. Michael Jordon while a youth would play pick up basketball games. During these games he did not take the easy shot, although that would have been the easy way to win the game. No he would turn the hard way, dribble the dangerous course, etc. until he could do those moves as easily as taking a shot with no one around. He was not afraid of failure. They gave other examples of people, athletes and scientists, willing to reach their fullest potentional by being willing to fail. Not once, not twice, but many, many times. Fail and come back and try again. That is what brings out your full potential.

Now I must admit that it is very easy for me to fall into doing what is easy. Not working on the skills that I and my dog find more difficult but doing what is easy, and therefore fun. My latest example is whistles. I tried I believe 3 times. I did not make a conscious decision not to use the whistle after that. But I had such a time of it trying to sound the whistle while working my dog and failing that I soon would forget to take the whistle with me and it was too much of a bother to go back to the house to get it. Soon after that I didn't even think that I should have brought it. I was back in my comfort zone.

This has happen through out our training. Some of it was lack of knowledge. How do I make the dog understand what I am asking? Some of it has been its easier to accept close than demand that it be right. The stop is a classic example. How many times have I accepted an almost stop? Then been dismayed when Rave took those extra steps when I really needed her to stay still. Just yesterday at our lesson I accepted her cutting in slightly at the center pen. It was cold, and raining. The sheep went into the pen. Therefore it was okay to not insist on the proper flank this time. Until next time when it does matter. So I need to accept that if I 'do something' to correct that something might not be the right thing. But I won't find out what is right if I won't try. I also have to accept that if I do something my immediate goal, say getting the sheep penned, might fail. But hopefully it will set us up for success in the future.

I need to be willing to stretch. How do I know we can't do something if we don't try? And expect that the first time we will fail on something new. And the second time, and the third time. And who knows how many more times? It is the striving that is the important part.

And also I need to be aware that it is not just my desires and goals out there. My dog does not have any ambitions but to work the stock and please me. I need to be aware of how she is reacting. Praise her trying even if it is a failure. That way we can try again.

So my thoughts on a cold, cloudy, rainy spring day. I think I will stay inside and drink coffee and contemplate my failures. They are the path to success.