Natalie Nixon on Being a Clumsy Student of Something mp4

3 Aug 2021 · 1 min

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1:27

In this personal‑development talk, Natalie Nixon introduces the concept of being a “clumsy student” of any skill or subject. She advocates a “baby food method” that involves unpacking, reverse‑engineering, and deconstructing a topic into tiny, incremental steps. Nixon stresses the importance of “airing out” work‑in‑progress—sharing it publicly, whether on stage, in a Zoom call, or elsewhere—to receive feedback and avoid the trap of perfectionism. She notes that a supportive voice (like her husband’s) can remind learners not to let perfection be the enemy of good. By embracing imperfection, taking small steps, and inviting external input, learners can progress more effectively. Nixon illustrates the approach by describing her current practice as a clumsy student of the tango and foxtrot.

Chapters

You know, it comes down to a phrase I like to use a lot, which I'm getting feedback from people that it resonates with them, which is to be a clumsy student of something. And that involves practicing what I call the baby food method of unpacking things, reverse engineering, deconstructing it, and taking the incremental steps. I think when we are a student of something, It's also about what you've been saying in our conversation, which is living things out loud, airing it out, oxygenating it, showing the work in progress. There is this real stranglehold that a lot of us have. I have struggled with it myself, which is— and my husband would always be counseling me when he would see me get to those moments of hesitation and struggle, where he would remind me, don't let perfection be the enemy of good. Right? We need someone in our corner reminding us of that so that we bravely step out on stage or on the corner or on a Zoom video and share, this is something I've been working on, this is something I've been thinking about. Because if you work on it in isolation only, you're not actually doing the idea service, right? You have to air it out, you have to get feedback incorporated. So I would say be a clumsy student of something. And right now I'm a clumsy student of The tango and foxtrot.