Some people have the ability to help and make other people achieve their goals – whether it’s winning the Olympics or succeceeding in an exam. These people are often dubbed as coaches, trainers or leaders but basically, whatever the title, they help others to do better than they would’ve done on their own. Coaches can be motivative or ruthless but still their goal is to make sure their their trainee achieves his or her goals. You think Luke would’ve beaten that guy in black without his master Yoda?
I’ve been into coffee for about two years now and it was on the Valentine’s Day two years ago when I decided, while watching the Finnish Barista Championship finals, that one day I’m going to have of those golden portafilters on my mantelpiece. Now that the competition season arrives I find myself somewhat puzzled. My head is bursting with ideas, one night when I couldn’t sleep I MindMapped my competition espresso to-be and even tasted it in a dream a few days ago (no kidding, I really did. It was made by Tim Wendelboe at his new coffee shop in Helsinki it tasted exactly the way I want my competition blend to taste like.)
Yet I find myself confronted by the plethora of things to consider of when preparing for the competition. As a first-timer I really have no idea what it feels like being on the stage. I’ve watched numerous competition routines trying to absorb everything I could from small details to the overall theme. Still, I feel that’s not enough. Just by watching others and trying to zigzag your own routine together based on everyone else’s ones isn’t the way to win the WBC. It’s a bit like trying to learn Chinese just by listening to people speaking it. After a while you can pick something here and there but trying to apply it to your own spoken language might be a little difficult. Eventually you might succeed conversating somewhat fluently – performing a routine based on your as well as other’s ideas1 – but imagine what would the result be had you had your personal instructor. Instead of applying other’s approach to those complicated pinyin characters (they way to remember the meaning of each character) – other’s approach to coffee in this case – you could, with the help of your instructor, make your very own meanings for the characters (for example the sign meaning “road” is an “A” with a turtle above it) thus making it a lot easier and more natural to conversate – or compete succesfully.2
I really ought to get a personal Yoda. Someone who could help me to sort my thoughts, get the best out of me, make me achieve something I couldn’t on my own. Someone who would ask me to make 50 cappuccinos in order to perfect the foam, motivate me when it’s raining out- and inside. Answer my endless questions with more questions thus making me to figure out the problem myself. I’m willing to train 16 hours a day if someone’s willing to teach me. I don’t need compassion nor anything special, just a trainer who knows how to make me achieve my goal – get a ticket to Colombia.
A Yoda wanted. Please apply or report a possible candidate here.
I am not saying you should not be inspired by other’s ideas, just that they should only enrich your own ones [↩]
I don’t know if this makes any sense but I hope you get my point! [↩]
A Yoda wanted
Some people have the ability to help and make other people achieve their goals – whether it’s winning the Olympics or succeceeding in an exam. These people are often dubbed as coaches, trainers or leaders but basically, whatever the title, they help others to do better than they would’ve done on their own. Coaches can be motivative or ruthless but still their goal is to make sure their their trainee achieves his or her goals. You think Luke would’ve beaten that guy in black without his master Yoda?
I’ve been into coffee for about two years now and it was on the Valentine’s Day two years ago when I decided, while watching the Finnish Barista Championship finals, that one day I’m going to have of those golden portafilters on my mantelpiece. Now that the competition season arrives I find myself somewhat puzzled. My head is bursting with ideas, one night when I couldn’t sleep I MindMapped my competition espresso to-be and even tasted it in a dream a few days ago (no kidding, I really did. It was made by Tim Wendelboe at his new coffee shop in Helsinki it tasted exactly the way I want my competition blend to taste like.)
Yet I find myself confronted by the plethora of things to consider of when preparing for the competition. As a first-timer I really have no idea what it feels like being on the stage. I’ve watched numerous competition routines trying to absorb everything I could from small details to the overall theme. Still, I feel that’s not enough. Just by watching others and trying to zigzag your own routine together based on everyone else’s ones isn’t the way to win the WBC. It’s a bit like trying to learn Chinese just by listening to people speaking it. After a while you can pick something here and there but trying to apply it to your own spoken language might be a little difficult. Eventually you might succeed conversating somewhat fluently – performing a routine based on your as well as other’s ideas1 – but imagine what would the result be had you had your personal instructor. Instead of applying other’s approach to those complicated pinyin characters (they way to remember the meaning of each character) – other’s approach to coffee in this case – you could, with the help of your instructor, make your very own meanings for the characters (for example the sign meaning “road” is an “A” with a turtle above it) thus making it a lot easier and more natural to conversate – or compete succesfully.2
I really ought to get a personal Yoda. Someone who could help me to sort my thoughts, get the best out of me, make me achieve something I couldn’t on my own. Someone who would ask me to make 50 cappuccinos in order to perfect the foam, motivate me when it’s raining out- and inside. Answer my endless questions with more questions thus making me to figure out the problem myself. I’m willing to train 16 hours a day if someone’s willing to teach me. I don’t need compassion nor anything special, just a trainer who knows how to make me achieve my goal – get a ticket to Colombia.
A Yoda wanted. Please apply or report a possible candidate here.