Warping time.
October 5, 2011
There’s a very easy test to tell if you’ve become incredibly proficient in an area. The top athletes talk about it all the time. When they’re in the zone, time slows down for them. A good NFL quarterback doesn’t see the field the same way we do as spectators. It’s literally like hitting the “action-control” time in Madden.. where time slows down for him as he’s making his reads, processing the defense in his head and knowing exactly where to throw. Of course, the mechanics have to be deeply ingrained in muscle memory so the time and effort isn’t spent on calculating the throw. That’s second nature.
On the flip side, when you’re learning something new for the first time, everything seems super fast paced, because your brain struggles to process all the new sensations and mechanics. Salsa dancing has been like that for me. When I first started out I was so clueless and I had to think about each and every step. Now the basics are second nature.. but whenever I’m learning a new move, it’s the same sensation, that hurried sense of panic that sets in for just a moment as my brain catches up to my body.
Think about the activities you do — is time slow or fast for you?
[...] a few months now and I’m not a total beginner, I’m nowhere near the comfort level where time seems to warp. And this woman was breathtakingly good, on the performance team, etc. But she was patient and she [...]