Tags
The last 2-3 months I’ve started playing Tennis again. The very first game I played I couldn’t hit the ball well, or get a first serve in. The result ended up a 6-0 loss to Mr Clarke. I’ve been thinking about this a lot in the past couple of weeks, because I’ve taken the opportunity, for the first time in many years, to play tennis on a regular basis. My game has gotten progressively better in a short space of time. I’ve had a number of delightful moments during which I’ve played like the player I always wanted to be.
Like most people, I believe that incredibly durable myth that some people are born with special talents, which gives them the potential to truly excel in what they do. I have friends who see this and they exploit it in sports, mathematics, writing and so on. It’s just finding out what you excel in and then being able to work on it.
The way to look at in a simple way, it’s possible to be able to build on any given skill in the same logical way as we do with a muscle – If you push past your comfort zone you’ll grow, then you’ll go through a rest phase. By repeatedly doing this in a work environment you’ll grow specific practices and skills, which will improve your range in what you’re capable of doing.
If you want to excel at something then it’s going to involve pushing past your comfort zone, which will include setbacks, struggles and failures. It’s suggested by research that 10,000 hours is needed of practice to become an expert in the field. By doing this you’ll continue to grow, which will give the satisfaction and be rewarded in being good at something you’ve earned through your own hard work.
Pursue What You Love – For me, finding something that you’re passionate about is a motivator and the first step to succeed. It fuels your focus and willingness to do well.
Practice – The more you practice, the better you’ll get. It’s noted that doing an activity for 90 minutes without interruption helps us practice at the highest level given.
Seek Feedback – I do this all the time. Finding someone you respect whether at work, in the gym, or playing sport, will help your performance in the long run. The feedback will help make your adjustments, however too much feedback or listening to the wrong person can create an overload of information and will interfere with your learning. So choose wisely.
A quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson – “Whether or not you can never become great at something, you can always become better at it. Don’t ever forget that! And don’t say “I’ll never be good”. You can become better! and one day you’ll wake up and you’ll find out how good you actually became.”
By Stefan Lasek