Grow faster by investing in loss and easing your beginner’s mind

As a teenager, I’d cringe when a stronger sparring partner sent me sprawling. Yet every time I fell, I learned more about my own mistakes than any textbook could teach. I decided to seek out those bruising sessions, the so-called ‘loss investments,’ because I knew they highlighted the blind spots I defended at all costs.

One afternoon, my friend Frankie pummeled me in a Push Hands drill, targeting moves I hadn’t seen coming. Instead of rushing away, I stayed calm, took notes, and watched how my hips locked and my mind froze. The more I let him push me without fighting back, the faster I saw where I really needed to grow.

Within weeks, I’d tamed my tension, refined my structure, and turned those losses into stepping stones. Each time I faced a tougher opponent, I felt excited rather than fearful. That humility unlocked a new level of curiosity and resilience—I welcomed confusion as an invitation to innovate.

Psychology calls this a mastery orientation—when you see errors not as failures but as feedback loops. By investing in loss, you bypass the ego’s resistance and accelerate real progress.

First, name one area where you’re ready to learn from real struggle. Then find someone ahead of you on that path and let them push your boundaries without defense. Log what breaks your balance and translate that single insight into a concrete tweak for next time. Give it a try in your practice session this week.