Sometimes you need new lenses and sometimes you just need new frames.
I have always been seduced by the idea that if I can just analyze a problem sufficiently, I will be able to solve it. I am a problem solver by nature and was raised in a family where knowledge and understanding were highly valued. Especially, if that knowledge and understanding came from a careful, methodical and thorough analysis. I have thought about this as the”lens” through which I look at a problem. If I could just bring the problem into focus then I felt that I had a good shot at solving it.
One of my earliest challenges as a psychologist was my impatience in the process of change. I worked diligently with my clients to help them explore their lives. I helped them understand behavioral and emotional patterns, their temperament, their neurology and physiology, their relationships, and how their life of learning led them to where they are at the present moment. And yet, more often than not, this highly focused and clear understanding of their problems did not spontaneously lead to change. Frustrating, right?
Over time I began to notice that the clients that did make changes were the one’s that, after understanding their problem, naturally shifted their focus to solutions. In that way, they knew where they were going. They had analyzed the problems in their life and, using that analysis as a basis, they had identified one or more solutions. In essence, they had shifted their focus and attention from what I call a “problem frame” to a “solution frame”. This may seem like an obvious and simple idea, but it is so often lost both in life and in learning.
Take a moment the next time you ride to listen to the voice inside your head. How often do you identify a problem in your riding? How often do you search for a cause? And, how often when you identify a cause, do you admonish yourself to stop doing the offending behavior? Many riders are very critical of themselves. They constantly tell themselves “don’t do this” or “don’t do that.” The problem with this approach is simply that no amount of telling ourselves what not to do will help us do the right thing.
If your an instructor or coach, pay attention to the language that you use when working with your clients. Notice how often you are critical or point out something your client is doing wrong. If you find yourself doing this on occasion, try an experiment. The next time your teaching a lesson and notice a behavior that you would like your client to change, take the time to enter a into “problem frame” with your student. Clearly and thoroughly describe your client’s riding behavior and why it fails to bring about the desired results. Then consciously and deliberately shift the focus from problems to solutions and enter into a “solution frame.” Talk with them clearly and specifically about what they need to do in order to progress. Finally, when you see the undesired behavior again, help your client stay in a “solution frame” by reminding them about what they need to do rather than pointing out their mistake.
There is no doubt that seeing things clearly is of great value in our equestrian lives, and that looking at our experience through the correct lens will help us greatly in our quest to accomplish our riding goals. It is equally important to remember that no amount of focus or clarity will serve to help us overcome the challenges in our equestrian journey, if we are seeing things clearly through an unhelpful frame.
Riding Far, LLC 