Learn Fast or Get Punched in the Nose
Last night at Krav Maga, I relearned a lesson I keep bumping into in business.
Pad work rotation. Ten seconds per partner. No breaks. No grace.
My next striker jogs up with a grin and intent in his eyes. Southpaw.
I’m orthodox.
If you’ve ever held pads, you know this matters. Your brain has to flip everything—angles, timing, muscle memory—instantly. There’s no pause button, and this guy doesn’t throw love taps. He drops bricks.
Pop. Pop.
Lead right. Power left.
Pop. Pop.
Right straight. Left uppercut.
I’m keeping up—barely.
Then my brain reverts. For half a second, I hold pads like he’s orthodox.
That’s all it takes.
I feel it before I register it. A clean graze across the nose. Not broken, but close enough to make the point.
He doesn’t stop.
He doesn’t apologize.
He doesn’t slow down.
Because the lesson isn’t don’t make mistakes.
The lesson is learn faster than the consequences stack up.
“Fail Fast” Is Only Half the Advice
Business loves the phrase fail fast. It’s everywhere. Books. Podcasts. Keynotes.
What we talk about less is the second half:
Fail fast only works if you learn fast.
When you’re young, learning fast is instinctive.
Touch the stove → don’t touch the stove
Untied shoes + BMX bike → bad idea
Falling hurts
Love can break you
The feedback loop is immediate.
As we get older, we soften that loop. We overthink. We hedge. We protect our ego. We convince ourselves we’ve “seen this before.”
And that’s when growth slows.
That’s also when business starts landing punches.
Learning Fast Is Messy by Design
Learning fast isn’t polished.
It’s Ready. Fire. Aim.
Then adjust while things are moving.
That’s been true building businesses, nonprofits, brands—anything real.
Some efforts work beautifully in one environment and fail completely in another. Same intent. Same energy. Different result.
That’s not incompetence.
That’s data.
Learning fast is chaotic. It’s uncomfortable. It doesn’t look like highlight reels or success montages. It looks like absorbing information at full speed and adapting before the next hit lands.
You Will Get Hit
This part matters:
If you’re learning fast, you’re exposed.
Deals go sideways.
Campaigns miss.
Timing is off.
You misread the room.
That sting—the one that makes you stop and reassess—that’s not failure. That’s feedback.
You don’t avoid it by being careful.
You avoid repeating it by staying alert.
Focus Isn’t Optional
Learning fast demands presence.
You can’t multitask through it. You can’t half-pay attention and expect clean results.
In those moments, the world narrows:
Pads. Striker. Movement.
Band. Tempo. Count.
Market. Customer. Signal.
Everything else is noise.
This is why high performers ritualize focus—free throws, pre-shot routines, breath patterns. They’re not superstition. They’re gates that shut out distraction.
Miss that focus, and the punch connects.
There’s No Time for “Sorry”
This might be the hardest part.
When I get hit, there’s no apology exchange. No reset through politeness.
There’s only: Did you adjust?
Business works the same way.
Markets don’t care if you’re sorry.
Customers don’t pause for regret.
Opportunities don’t rewind.
You either adapt in motion—or you don’t.
the insights from Learning Fast
If life feels a little dull, it might be because you’ve stopped putting yourself in environments that demand fast learning.
Take on something uncomfortable. Physical. Creative. Strategic.
Something that gives immediate feedback.
Not because it’s fun.
Because it keeps you sharp.
Learn fast – or life will remind you why that skill matters.
And trust me – The reminder usually lands right on the nose.