My way ?

I heard something on YouTube the other day - a conversation between Dr Huberman and Rick Rubin. For those that don’t know Rick is a legendary music producer. He dropped a bomb or rather Dr Huberman quoted something from a book written by Rick. It goes like this “To be aware of the assumption that the way you work is the best way simply because it’s the way you have done it”. So simple and yet utterly profound. 

It got me thinking, and as always my thoughts connect ideas one of which was about advice. And, frankly, about the apparent human aversion to actually change anything. We all say we want to learn, to grow, to evolve. We spout clichés about "change being the only constant." But then someone offers a different perspective, a new approach, and suddenly, we cling to our tried and true methods like they're the last lifeboat on the Titanic.

Here's the rub: if you genuinely want to learn and grow, you have to be ready for failure. Not just accept it, but embrace it as part of the process. Because every piece of advice, every new idea, every suggested tweak to your way, comes with a built-in risk. And that risk often means stepping into the uncomfortable territory of not knowing, of potentially messing up, of looking less than perfect. 

The fact is - advice is always given from a point of view. It's coloured by the persons  experiences, their successes, their failures, their biases. It's not a universal law etched in stone. Your current best way worked for you in your context. But if the context shifts, if you want different results, or if you simply want to expand your own understanding, then clinging to that best way becomes the very thing holding you back.  It takes a certain kind of humility, doesn't it? To acknowledge that the well-worn groove might actually be a rut. To be open to the possibility that someone else's different isn't wrong. To understand that true growth isn't about perfecting what you already do, but about daring to try something entirely new, even if it feels clumsy at first.

So, when that little voice (or Rick Rubin) whispers, Is this really the best way, or just your way?, maybe it's time to listen. What cherished best practices are you holding onto that might be quietly stifling your own growth?

C