Measuring Progress

Getting better at any activity -- from baking bread to woodworking -- is usually accompanied by an awareness that things just seem to work out more efficiently, with less frustration and difficulty. Rather than being a slave to formulas and prescriptions, it becomes possible to "tell" when a bread dough has risen just enough, or when a dovetail pin is hand-cut at an optimum angle.

On YouTube there's a brief teaser video promoting an instructional DVD on dovetailing by Frank Klaus. (Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-o4jryTkUc .) In the video, Klaus makes a comment that clearly indicates he does not rely on aids and measurements in determining when a pin is cut at the proper -- roughly 11 degree -- angle. Instead, he makes his own judgment, based on experience. I find his off-the-cuff comment refreshing, since it's a reminder that woodworking is a human activity accomplished by human beings who think, feel, and make judgments.

Unfortunately, there are two problems that result from becoming really good at something. First we take our competence for granted. (One author has dubbed this the "unconscious competence" phenomenon.) We just know how to do things, and expect that others know, too -- or that they can learn quickly. The other is that having forgotten the learning process we followed, we have no clue about how to teach others to do the task at which we excel. Returning to the "beginner's mind" is a gift outstanding teachers possess. Few teachers, indeed, can claim to have that gift.

So if you are reading this blog post as a hobbyist woodworker, I would urge you to enjoy -- and even keep track of -- the process you follow in learning various skills. Enjoy the journey of learning. And if you're lucky enough to have the opportunity to teach someone else what you've learned to do, take full advantage of it. It's not just an act of generosity. It's also pleasant, reinforcing, and rewarding for you.