In The surprising truth about motivation, Daniel H. Pink discusses the various ideas around motivation and the path to mastery. Mastery he believes fuels the autonomy and purpose of Type I behaviour and motivation. He defines mastery as the desire to get better and better at something that matters.
Being able to snowboard has been on my bucket list since I was 12. In 2007, I moved up to Scotland from Bristol where I had spent my time surfing and traded surfboard for snowboard. Twelve years later, am I on the path to mastery? No, not even close…. but have I learnt anything?
I love the mountains and I love snowboarding. It informs the way I dress, the way I live and my values.
Snowboarding is a lot of falling down, getting back and sore muscles while you master even standing on your board. Once you can stand then comes the real challenge – sliding sideways and turns! It took me a long time to learn to turn properly. Snowboarding is a progression sport and an activity where mistakes are crucial to your progression. Sometimes yes, they hurt. My wrist is no longer straight and if I sit too long hunched over my computer I get a gentle reminder of another injury around my shoulder blade. I see them as reminders to get some movement into my day.
Snowboarding teaches you to let go once in a while, be present and to focus on the things that make us hyped to be alive. Snowboarding has driven my need for a work-life balance. There is more to life than working 9 to 5, paying the bills and repeating.
Snowboarding tries to remind you that the process, the journey, is what matters not the destination, although it helps if you can master a tow as it will make your snowboarding journey just a tad smoother. I have days where a Poma will get the better of me, usually at the start of a season, and I have to overcome the fear in my mind. I had one such wipe-out this year, totally looked ridiculous as I crash landed but it didn’t break me so back I got for attempt number two with just a tiny bit of wobble (thinking don’t fall, don’t fall, just relax, stay upright) and back on my way up the mountain.
Daniel H. Pink talks about the path to mastery is doing things on the day you don’t feel like doing them. Well snowboarding in Scotland certainly teaches you how to do something you love on days you really don’t want to do it. If you can bear the gale force winds sandblasting your face and the ice and the rocks intermingled sending you on an unintended jump, then well those blue sky days and soft slushy snow will taste all the sweeter.