Hey Fam!
I hope you’re all doing well and finding rhythm in whatever routines you’re in. This week, I wanted to revisit a story I’ve shared before—The Pottery Parable. It’s one that’s been on my mind a lot lately as I move through my “Emergency Orthopedics” rotation.
The Pottery Parable
In the story, a pottery teacher divides their class into two groups. One group is asked to create a single pot, with the entire month to perfect it. The other group, though, is instructed to make one pot each day for 30 days. At the end of the month, when it’s time to judge their work, the highest quality pots come from the group that practiced daily, rather than the group that spent all their time trying to create a perfect pot.
The lesson? Quality is born out of quantity. When we engage in repetitions, we grow through each small adjustment, every minor insight, and those moments we tweak or shift something, even slightly, from the day before.
How it’s Resonating in the ED
In this current rotation, I respond to orthopedic, hand, and spine traumas in the emergency department. Some cases are significant, limb-threatening injuries, but often, it’s common fractures, infections, or lacerations. Day after day, I find myself washing out wounds, doing neurovascular exams, and putting splints. In the medical world, and likely in any field, it’s easy to feel like repetition leads to monotony. But each day is an opportunity to improve, even in the smallest ways.
The process mirrors that of the potters. By repeating these procedures, I get more efficient, more confident, and more tuned in to the subtleties that make each case unique. The “30th pot” version of any procedure—after many repeated attempts—holds more finesse and more skill than the first few did.
The Beauty of Repetition
We’ve all been there: doing a task over and over, feeling like it’s just a checkbox. But it’s in those moments of repetition where the real magic happens. Each time we go through the motions, we refine, we adapt, and we slowly but surely create something better than before.
So this week, I challenge you to find joy in the repetition, wherever you are. Whether you’re in the ER, in a lab, or studying for the next exam, remember: each “pot” you make is a step towards true mastery.
Until next time, keep stacking those reps, and watch as your own masterpieces emerge.
Inspiration for the Week
Here are a few quotes that resonated with me while working on this issue. I hope they’ll inspire you, too:
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“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle
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“Small daily improvements over time lead to stunning results.” – Robin Sharma
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“Don't look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens—and when it happens, it lasts.” – John Wooden
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