Einstein Was a Genius

I realized this morning that the very slightest change of focus will drastically change the outcome in any application.   And I know this concept has been repeated over and over in many different ways...but until it actually "clicks" for a particular scenario, you tend to just go through the motions without gaining anything.  I feel like that's very close...too close....to Einstein's definition of insanity.

I've been working on my side heel.  And I've been working on specific things about it, not just hammering out a bunch of incorrectly performed reps.  The reps will improve my strength, stamina, balance, accuracy, etc...but they won't do much for bad technique or form.  It can be frustrating when you feel like you're taking all the right steps, but not getting the desired result.  In last nights class there was a lot of emphasis on foot technique, specifically blade....which is a big part of my goal of mastering the side heel.  I know in my head what I should be doing, and what my foot should look like with proper form...but it still seems to be hit or miss with actually getting the result I want.  I posed a question at the end of class....and within the answer was "you shouldn't be thinking about your toes".  Don't ask me why that part stuck with me, but it led me to asking myself, "Okay, if I shouldn't think about my toes, what should I think about?"  So this morning, I initially tried emphasizing the blade of my foot.  This seemed a bit awkward....almost too general, and did not result in the desired outcome.  Next I tried pivoting my base foot a bit more...not sure why I thought that would fix the form of my other foot but why not right??...it did not do anything for my kicking foot, but I think I did feel more balanced overall...so a side win there!   I then decided I would try focusing on and directing my force to that small upper part of my heel that I actually want to make impact with.  And wouldn't you know it, the result I wanted was bang on!  It felt both right and strong and I was able to repeatedly get the same outcome.  Isn't it funny how when you finally make a discovery, you feel a bit silly because it seems like it should have been obvious from the start?  Oh well, its a journey....I don't want to get there too fast right?  😉

Now I certainly haven't mastered anything here, but I can definitely feel good about making some progress.  I guess my point is that if something isn't working, I can't just keep doing the same thing over and over hoping it will eventually change.  Trying something...anything....even if it seems small or silly can potentially make a huge difference.  Even the failed attempts will move you forward.