Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, once defined virtuosity as “doing the uncommon, uncommonly well.” At first glance, it’s easy to think this applies only to elite athletes or advanced movements like ring muscle-ups or handstand walks. However, Glassman’s point wasn’t about flashy skills—it was about mastering the fundamentals. In fact, he warned of something called the novice’s curse, which can affect anyone learning a new skill. The novice’s curse is the temptation to rush past the basics in favor of more advanced techniques. In any discipline—whether gymnastics, writing, business, or fitness—this impatience leads to weak foundations, sloppy technique, and eventually, plateaus. In CrossFit, this can manifest when athletes focus on PRs at the expense of form or avoid workouts they dislike because they feel uncomfortable or challenging or in some cases start to add more to their programming thinking it will help them advance faster. But here’s the truth: Mastery begins with the...