A barista told me my pour over was 'too precious' and she was right
I used to obsess over every swirl and 45 second bloom, watched timers like a hawk. Then this barista at a shop in Portland watched me do a slow hesitant pour and said 'you're making it nervous, not careful.' That one line got to me. I relaxed my technique, started pouring faster with less fuss, and honestly my cups taste brighter and cleaner now. Has anyone else had a pro point out a habit that was actually holding you back?
My buddy spent two years gripping the steering wheel with both hands at 10 and 2 because his dad taught him that, then a driving instructor told him loose hands make smoother turns and he quit fighting the car. Same thing with cooking, guitar, even how tight you hold a pencil when you write. The fuss feels like care but most of the time it's just fear dressed up nice.