Oh, So Good!

Yep!  You’re good.  You’re pretty darn good. And still, do you know what the research says about taking all of that up a notch (or two or 10)?

If you practice something long enough, you’ll be good at it.  And that’s the danger.  Yes, just practicing something could damage your potential.  In this week’s Wednesdays With Wayne let’s look deeper at what gets in the way of making you truly GREAT.

Have you ever felt like you’ve hit a plateau?  Whether you play golf or tennis, paint or sculpt, or do what you do for a living, could you get better at it?

Yes.  Yes you could!

Climb into your way-back machine and note that in the late 1970s a lot of research came out about the effects of visualization on performance.  What was reported was that those (athletes) who practiced their art in their mind’s eye actually performed better when it was game time.  To a certain degree, mental rehearsal is almost as good as actual practice.

The reason is that the body responds to mental imagery – another reason to be really careful about what you put into it.

But that’s not enough.  

Practicing physically and practicing mentally are good, but they’re not enough to take you to your next level.

What, then, is the secret?

Since the ‘70s, we’ve learned a lot.  In fact, in just the last couple of years, we’ve learned a whole lot.  It turns out that to get better at anything, it’s not just practice that helps.  It’s DELIBERATE PRACTICE. You have to put yourself into the mindset of actually wanting to get better.  When you practice the same way, you’ll get good.  Yes, with regular practice, your free-throws on the basketball court will get better and your piano playing will become more fluid.  And yet, you’ve actually got to push for that slightly incremental increase for your skills to begin to grow further.

When I was actively practicing the martial arts, we used to do the same routines over and over again.  We all got good at a certain move.  But it wasn’t until I advanced that I realized that my practice could get better.  What if my body weight shifted just a half inch or if I rotated my hip slightly?  As I came up through the ranks and became an instructor myself, the journey taught me something.  I got really good.  And then, by recognizing that starting anew from the place of being really good led to some significant leaps.  There’s a saying that says that only when you earn your black-belt, do you really begin to learn.  The challenge is to take your strengths and to build on them by choosing to become a beginner… again.

There is a deliberate discipline and mindset that goes into training.  This can be translated to your day-to-day life’s journey.

How can you amplify your mindset to really pay attention to the things you do all the time, to modify them just a bit on purpose, and to take your results to the next level?  It’s a question that experts answer by getting coaches.  ALL of the highest performers have outside help.  You bring the awareness of self and the coach brings a perspective that you don’t have.

So today, start by becoming more aware of what you do.

Become more deliberate in what you do.

Amplify your life in areas you thought were stagnate because you stopped attending to them.  You were good.  Now, be great.  High Performers achieve results above the norm consistently because of their deliberate practice.

Now it’s your turn.  

Let me know what you’re doing differently today – when you pick up your guitar, your fork, your drill, or your car keys.  For extra credit, bring that deliberate mindset to your relationships.

Be deliberate.  Stay curious™ and keep making your magic™.  You’ve got this!

If you’re ready to become part of the DynamicLeader® community, joining a mastermind or participating in High Performance Coaching™, then reach out.  It’s time and I’m here for you!

~ Dr P ~