How to Get Unstuck by Freeing Yourself from the Linear Learning Trap

When it comes to getting unstuck so you can gather gravity with peace of mind, there’s a seductive (yet hidden) landmine you need to be aware of.

I’ve named it,

And it’s a myth that goes like this: “I must learn it all BEFORE I will be able to successfully do it by myself.”

Learn everything first. Do it after. Linear.

Sounds good in theory, does it not? Learn first, then do.

Seems logical and reasonable, even. After all, it’s what they taught us in kindergarten. Looks like the perfect plan, in fact.

And it would be. If not for one itsy-bitsy problem:

It. Is. Impossible.

Here’s why.

Learning to do anything you haven’t done before is never a straight line. Because of learning curves, it’ll always be a zig-zag mess of trial ‘n error.

Each experience stands on the shoulders of the last one, and gives birth to the next one.

All the incremental feedback you experience along the way is what teaches (not the vast collection of info you’ve memorized).

That’s why you’ll never be able to ride a bike by reading books, listening to podcasts, watching videos, etc. You can learn about the experiences others have had. But if you want to ride it, you gotta get on a bike and make a mess, zig-zagging your way to success…

…because if it ain’t messy, you’ll never get the chain of experiences required to master riding it yourself.

(The only other way I know to reduce this messiness (you can’t eliminate it entirely until you master it) is having someone willing to walk the path with you who can (from experience) shorten your learning curve and guide you safely past landmines you can’t see.)

It’s also known as, learning experientially (i.e., learn BY doing).

Take a step. What happened? Did it “work” or not? Take another step based on the last one (and taking into account where you want to go). Add up all the feedback you experienced (the “good” and the “bad”), and practice the experiences that produced the desired results until you are capable of doing it automatically.

Besides, is learning ever really the point?

What I’mma ask’n is, is learning your endall, beall… or… simply the means to it?

Are you investing your precious time here because you just like to learn for learning’s sake? Or is your purpose for learning so you can build a new capability that allows you to confidently free yourself whenever you get stuck?

No contest, right?

Because look, if we’re completely honest with ourselves, if there was any way to gain the new capability without learning, I bet most would skip it without a second’s hesitation.

I certainly would. And twice on Tuesdays (whatever that means 😉 ).

And yet:

Contrary to the “hacks” we wish were true, there ain’t no skip’n it! Paraphrasing BB King, you wanna be the boss, you gotta pay the cost.

You see, learning is (no, scratch that) experiential learning is the one and only way to develop the skills required for you to bridge the gap between wanting and having the new results you seek.

Compounding Capabilities to
Meaningful Momentum

Once you watch this short 2:33 minute video, I bet it all clicks.

Wasn’t that profound?

You did actually watch it, didn’t you? To at least the 1:28 mark?

If not, I advise you to invest the measly 153 seconds in yourself, and watch it now (otherwise you won’t fully grasp the leverage power you can access after we walk the next few steps together). 

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Done watching it? Cool. 

Okay, so now, you’ve no doubt experienced the chain reaction of tipping over the first domino and watching with satisfaction as the entire snaking line of ’em all fall, yes?

(I mean, that’s almost as much fun as peeling off a thin layer of dried Elmer’s glue or rubber cement from the palm of your hand 😀 Life’s simple joys)

Anyways. If there’s no breaks in the chain, you can be certain the last domino will fall by flicking the first one, can’t you? And, you already know that removing a domino or two stops your momentum dead, and all dominos beyond the gap stays standing.

“Yawn,” am I right? Ain’t nutt’n new there. “Tell me something I didn’t know,” was what I was say’n until…

…video dude drops the knowledge bomb at the 1:08 mark.

You know, where he says, ​

“That was 13 dominos… if I had 29 dominos, the last domino would be as tall as the Empire State Building.”

Wait, whuuut?

You mean to tell me, that little-ass tiny domino that you almost need a microscope to even see, would build enough momentum to topple a skyscraper? And, in only 29 steps, no less?

WTF? Mind blown!

Are you starting to make the connection? 

Here’s how that video opened my awareness:

Say toppling the 29th Empire State domino represents the goal you want, but can’t seem to reach. Unless you already have enough momentum to tip over the 28th domino,

…it is impossible to knock down the 29th one.

Simply put, any time you try to increase your momentum greater than 150% in one fell swoop, you’re attempting to force the laws of physics to make an exception for you.

It doesn’t matter how hard you push, or how strong your willpower is, stuck you will stay. Period. Full stop.

Even 151% is a bridge too far.

We bite off more than we can chew at a time. Then we get depressed when it turns out gravity still applies. Especially when it seems like everyone but us can knock over that 29th domino with ease.

Assuming everyone is telling the truth, the part that doesn’t get talked about (or accounted for) is your personal starting point.

Based on your exact situation, which domino are you on, precisely, right now? Number 23? 27? 10? And, if where you actually are (not where you think or hope you are), is beyond the max 150% increase…

…then, what’s the custom plan that matches your domino, and systematically ratchets up your momentum by design (not default)?

It’s a double whammy.

First, we overestimate what we can do in the short run. And, two, at the same time, we grossly underestimate the miraculous progress possible by incrementally compounding momentum over time.

See how it applies to manifesting the tangible results that have managed to elude you until now? Is it starting to gel?

That’s the Law of Compounding!

A real life demonstration of its power in action (the clearest you’ll probably ever witness). That’s exactly how momentum works. Not to mention, how taking the right…​

…tiny actions that appear inconsequential can be leveraged into an unstoppable, invisible force…

…if… if momentum isn’t stopped before the later stages of the Law of Compounding has a chance to work it’s magic (where your capabilities grow your results like a perpetual motion machine).

Oh, and speaking of motion, there’s one more crucial observation you’ll want to make note of.

It’s this: Did you notice how long it took for all 13 dominos to fall? Only 5-6 seconds total. Why’s that important? Well, because not only are the first dominos in the chain the smallest, the speed will also be the slowest with the first ones.

Meaning the momentum feeds itself so your progress accelerates at an ever increasing rate. Leading us here…

You ready to come inside? Actually it’s more like, if you’re ready to let me in, I’d like to share with you some of the method behind my madness:

If you look back on our journey together here, you will clearly see how each bit led to the next bigger bit. And with each step we increased our awareness, you gathered more gravity (and your momentum built just like the dominos).

In fact, where you are standing right now is light years ahead of where we started, is it not?

You might notice that designing and building the experience you’ve had here so far required a ton of strategic work from me to set up each progressively bigger domino in the chain…

…however, just like in the video, the majority of the work required to tackle the next piece, was no big whoop because…

…it was fed by the momentum that’s accelerating at an ever accelerating rate generated by the boost in energy from previous domino falling.

Looking backwards or forwards within a zone of 150% from where you are feels kinda natural, right? Yet if you look back to the very beginning of our adventure together, now that’s where you can see exactly how much progress you’ve made.

And, hopefully your growth has been smooth so far. Maybe even, dare I say, fun and enjoyable?

(Boy, I sure hope so because building an experience for you like this, while it’s been just about the most fulfilling and truly meaningful times of my life, it’s also been among the most challenging. Researching, documenting, testing, refining and releasing a technology that’s as user friendly as it is powerful like RnD’ing is, is crazy hard on its own.

But wrapping it inside a momentum building framework for people like us to consume and successfully deploy? Well, that’s where the rubber meets the road. Frankly, it’s a good thing I didn’t know going in how time, energy and effort I’d invest to bake it in (so to speak), I’m not sure I’dda done it.

However, this unique combo of cutting edge breakthroughs coupled with a strategic momentum building framework like this, is worth all the work. I believe it’s the missing link to bridging your success gap.)

Oh yeah, and, by the way…

…if you ever get stuck (and/or struggle with sabotage in any area of your life) and you can’t figure out why it keeps happening, Fred, the Flat Headed Flea may be to blame.

You can see if he’s blocking you, here.

That’s all for now.