The Stonecutter and Latent Potential

“When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.” Jacob Riis.

Hammering Away

This is a quote that hangs in the locker room of the San Antonio Spurs. It’s a fitting quote for any sports locker room, but the Spurs locker room is special. They have an incredible culture that has developed and flourished under the leadership of legendary coach, Gregg Popovich. In his twenty-three years at the helm, his teams have won over 1700 games and have reached or progressed beyond the Conference semifinals sixteen times. Five times, the Spurs have been crowned NBA Championships and “Coach Pop” has three NBA Coach of the Year awards to his credit. There are many reasons to admire Gregg Popovich, but I simply admire his wisdom, mentality, and integrity. He’s a man of action as a coach and as a citizen. He knows that good things do not come easily, and he’s willing to hammer away at the stone day after day because that’s what it takes to make things happen. By investing in the hundred blows that preceded it, he and his teams have reaped the benefits of that hundred and first blow. And they continue to do so year after year.

James and the Giant Plateau

A couple of years ago, I started reading the work of James Clear. I quickly became a huge fan. James had a way of stating a simple truth with simple steps to take simple actions. Simple truths, steps, and actions. One concept that he referenced was the “plateau of latent potential.” The idea is that when we begin working toward a goal, we often work hard without seeing results. We know that outcomes are delayed, but it is frustrating to show up day after day without necessarily seeing the true progress we are making. This is is the perfect picture of the stonecutter hammering away. The big results come only after the compounding of those consistent daily efforts. We see it all the time in fitness, finances, business, etc. We have to hang in there through the plateau knowing that exponential growth and results are on their way. There is a gap between the effort and potential. Growth is not linear. It’s giant. But it’s only visible after the plateau.

The Gap Awaits

Over the past few years, I’ve developed a pattern in regard to my fitness. In the spring and early summer, I train for and compete in triathlons. In the summer and early fall, I train for and compete in a marathon. Over the winter I’m still active, but I tend to dial back my training for a season of relative rest and recovery. It’s a pattern that has worked for me over the past few years. I’m not highly competitive athlete. I just like to remain active and fit. As I transition into spring, I slowly enter into training mode. I know that I have a lot of work to do, and I’m also well aware of the gap that awaits me. I know better than to expect huge results quickly. The latent potential lies within ready to be awakened. Ready to close the gap. Ready to crack the stone. It’s a great lesson for any goal. Thanks Jacob, Gregg, and James. And thank you, stonecutter. This summer as I complete my triathlons and this fall as I complete my marathon, I’ll be thinking about all of you. And I'll be thinking of all those days in the plateau I was hammering away.

Hammer away today.

And have an awesome day!