Unconsciously incompetent to Unconsciously competent

Knowing the difference can make a big difference. I compete in a discipline that is measured in the smallest of increments. An inaccurate measurement can have big implications as can accurate ones. It's also one in which equipment, tools and materials one uses can make the difference between finishing well or at the bottom of the pack.

It's easy to simply go and buy the best or latest equipment thinking it will make you better or more competitive but what is the true value of it in the grand scheme of things and is there another way to improve? Sure, having a Kahles rifle scope is going to assist in the overall result through superior optical performance and accurate adjustment, but only if the fundamentals are applied in the first place. Get the breathing and trigger pull wrong by the smallest increment and the bullet lands meters from the intended point of impact.

Source: shximai.com

In life I think the same principles apply. Think about the business world...Does an expensive suit make the executive more productive, does a Mont Blanc pen help the figures look more profitable? No is the answer. And in personal life away from the office? Same. Do expensive designer clothes make a person a better parent? Does a prestige vehicle give children a better education? Sure, it can be argued that it does, but it actually doesn't. The person able to afford the designer clothing and prestige car may be able to afford to send the child to a better school but that's about it. So it's not the clothing or car that makes the difference at all.

Back to my sport/hobby. I have a garage full of items I don't use anymore. I paid $150 for a set of vernier calipers to measure bullet length and seating depth then decided that I would be far more effective as a shooter if I had more accurate verniers. I then spent $500 on a set of Mitotoyu vernier's and how did it improve my accuracy? Well, there's no way to measure it. But I assume very little.

I also spend hours dry-firing my rifle practicing breathing and trigger pull. I do target acquisition and positional drills, practice transitioning from position to position etc. How has that effected my results?

2016 Precision Rifle invitational result 11/24
2017 Precision Rifle Invitational result 4/32

I can only conclude that the bulk of my improvement has come from the thing that cost me the least: Training and practice. Of course many other things come in as factors but for the sake of this post I can safely say the thing which had the most impact on my results was working on and developing my core skills; Ingraining the fundamental skills and attributes into my sub-conscious and making them the same as breathing for instance.

Back to life in general. I believe there is 4 states of understanding:

Unconsciously incompetent (You don't know what you don't know)
Consciously incompetent (You know that you don't know what you need to know)
Consciously competent (You know what you need to know but have to consciously apply it)
Unconsciously competent (You apply the skills effortlessly and without thought)

It's an interesting journey. Think about yourself as a 14 year old riding in the back of your parents car. You have no idea how to drive the car but it looks easy, just turn the wheel and press a pedal or something. Now fast forward two years, you have your learners permit and you've had one driving lesson. All of a sudden you realize that there's more to it. You start to understand your incompetence. Fast forward ten lessons and your're driving well but still thinking the actions through: Seat belt, adjust mirrors, ignition, clutch, engage gear etc. Now, fast forward ten years. You probably don't even recall doing any of those things in a trip from A to B. It just seems to happen, like breathing or blinking. Unconsciously competent.

I believe these principle can be applied to most life-situations and that if a person increases skills and understanding rather than simply looking for an easy fix, a bolt-on addition, results will come. For me it also increases confidence and the feeling of achievement. I can say, "I did that," rather than I did that because I bought an expensive thing. And again, it's questionable just how effective a simple-bolt on accessory really is. I am a pretty good shooter over very long distances. Put cheaper equipment in my hands and my skills won't diminish. Sure, I may have to make adjustments to actually hit my target but I have the skills to do so. The deep-seated and ingrained understanding.

Oh, by the way, I'm not having a go at expensive things either. That's not the point of this post. I merely urge people to deepen knowledge and skills as that is the cheapest, and I think most effective, method of improvement. Once a person is at a high level of achievement and is looking for those minute gains then maybe some bolt-on accessories can be acquired. Initially though...Just sharpen your sword.

Source: w-dog.net

Thanks for reading guys and girls. All the best for an awesome day wherever you are around the world.