by GamesMaster
3/2/2008 10:02:00 PM
I'm rolling out a new activity each week for my blog readers and newsletter subscribers to explore. This week's activity is inspired by the book Free Play, by Stephen Nachmanovitch.
As we grow up, tasks that took us substantial amounts of time to learn become second nature. Take riding a bicycle, for instance. When you first learn, you are focusing on every aspect of riding - how to hold the handlebars, keeping your balance, maintaining a steady pedaling rhythm. Once you get acquainted with the motor skill requirements, it is easy to hop on a bike and go for a ride.
This week, take an activity that you have "perfected", that you have gotten down so well that it's now second nature. This could be as simple as walking or as complex as driving a car, or perhaps even something as seemingly mundane as how you greet people or thank the bus driver. Focus on deliberately taking the action and recall how much effort you initially put into the process and how amazing it can be when you are in the moment of the action. After you have done this a few times, comment here or email me with the story about your experience.
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