The Plateau of Latent Potential
One Idea
A stonecutter hits away at a rock 100 times without a dent. And then, on the 101st hit, the rock splits in half. Now, everyone celebrates the 101st hit because it’s the moment of breakthrough, but it’s the 100 hits before it that made the rock break.
In terms of progress and performance, there is often a delay between what we think should happen and what actually happens. We work and work and are confused when results don’t align with our expectations. But progress isn’t linear. Desired results are often delayed.
Photo by jamesclear.com
This is a key insight of James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits. In it, he discusses what he calls The Plateau of Latent Potential →
Clear calls the delay between expectations and results the Plateau of Latent Potential, or the ‘Valley of Disappointment’, because people often get discouraged when weeks or even months of hard work take time to produce the breakthrough event.
All big things come from small beginnings, though. Even the tiniest improvements, if consistently applied, realize their moment of breakthrough. “The work is never wasted,” says Clear, “it’s simply stored.”
What Clear calls the ‘Valley of Disappointment’ could just as easily be seen as the Valley of Vision or the Canyon of Resolve, because it takes vision to stay the course pre-breakthrough, and it requires resolve to maintain consistent effort when the desired result takes its time to mature.
Two Quotes
“Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from 25 to 31 degrees. All the action happens at 32 degrees.” - James Clear
“You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.” - James Clear
Three Takeaways
1. The work is never wasted IF consistent effort is applied. The key to this whole theory is continuing to pound the rock. If you stop work at the 99th strike, or even the 100th, the rock remains intact. But if you keep hitting, the breakthrough event will come.
2. There’s no such thing as overnight success. When you do finally break through the plateau, people may see it as an overnight success. But you know all of the work that preceded it. While most people only see the dramatic events, you know the work you did long ago that made today’s breakthrough possible.
3. The Plateau of Latent Potential is why coaches are absolutely essential. A 19-year-old, far from home and busy with school, can’t always see what his or her coach can see. He’s often discouraged, disillusioned, or worse, and it’s, in part, the coach’s job to encourage consistency and the promise of the coming breakthrough event. Hold the vision, encourage your athletes, and don’t get discouraged as the valley doesn’t last forever.
