Practice, Practice, Practice | D*I*Y Planner
Practice, Practice, Practice: "Psychologists studying expert and exceptional performance found that it's not really about talent; it's about practice. The athletes and chess players we admire have practiced for around 10,000 hours over a span of 10 years.
That's just three hours of practice a day. So if you want to be exceptional, just start practicing. Step out of your comfort zone and deliberately improve your skills." http://www.diyplanner.com/node/393, also see:
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/summaries/ericsson1996.html
Building a supportive mission centered network does require skill, but those skills are within your reach. The question isn't 'can you do it?' The question is 'will you make the effort to develop the skills you need to do it?' Will you do the reading? Will you seek out mentors? Will you do the study? Will you subordinate your interest to the interests of the network mission? Will you tell people about your work? Or, are you are hoping somehow to save the world, at least those you want to save, and reap rewards without much effort or skill?
Aikido master Roger Alexander writes:
There may be nothing wrong with winning the lottery; however, the pursuit of unearned success which it represents can be a danger to all aspects of your life . . . . we want the secret to unearned success. We want to win the lottery. . . . We understand the difference between an amateur and a professional. However, our tendency is to excuse the amateur's lack of commitment, and by implication, approve of his desire for unearned success. . . . The "lottery mentality" practiced in one part of our life will soon spread to other aspects of our life like a cancer. Without recognition of this disorder, we will soon be wasting away our energy chasing "lottery tickets" rather than committing to our everyday practice.
http://www.aikiweb.com/training/alexander1.html
Have you crafted your mission statement? Or, do you just wing it when asked to explain why you are doing what you do? Are you spending time learning how to make use of web2.0 tools? Or, are you seeking mastery through ignorance? Are you reading about how to create humanitarian good through social enterprise? Or, are you relying on the osmosis a la Edgar Cayce? Are you content to let whatever will be, be? Or, do you want your life to make a difference?
That's just three hours of practice a day. So if you want to be exceptional, just start practicing. Step out of your comfort zone and deliberately improve your skills." http://www.diyplanner.com/node/393, also see:
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/summaries/ericsson1996.html
Building a supportive mission centered network does require skill, but those skills are within your reach. The question isn't 'can you do it?' The question is 'will you make the effort to develop the skills you need to do it?' Will you do the reading? Will you seek out mentors? Will you do the study? Will you subordinate your interest to the interests of the network mission? Will you tell people about your work? Or, are you are hoping somehow to save the world, at least those you want to save, and reap rewards without much effort or skill?
Aikido master Roger Alexander writes:
There may be nothing wrong with winning the lottery; however, the pursuit of unearned success which it represents can be a danger to all aspects of your life . . . . we want the secret to unearned success. We want to win the lottery. . . . We understand the difference between an amateur and a professional. However, our tendency is to excuse the amateur's lack of commitment, and by implication, approve of his desire for unearned success. . . . The "lottery mentality" practiced in one part of our life will soon spread to other aspects of our life like a cancer. Without recognition of this disorder, we will soon be wasting away our energy chasing "lottery tickets" rather than committing to our everyday practice.
http://www.aikiweb.com/training/alexander1.html
Have you crafted your mission statement? Or, do you just wing it when asked to explain why you are doing what you do? Are you spending time learning how to make use of web2.0 tools? Or, are you seeking mastery through ignorance? Are you reading about how to create humanitarian good through social enterprise? Or, are you relying on the osmosis a la Edgar Cayce? Are you content to let whatever will be, be? Or, do you want your life to make a difference?
posted by Tom at 11:33 pm
2 Comments:
The Value of Practising the Basics
Dennis Kindle, is a black belt in Okinawan Kenpo, a martial art dating back to pre-feudal Japan. To reach black belt, he took three two hour classes per week for 14 years. He then added a fourth two-hour class.
"My sensei was very strict on the basics," says Dennis. "These basic forms, stances, punches, blocks, and kicks-are called Kata, and they must be practiced regularly before going on to the more advanced moves. Beginning students frequently get bored going over the basics again and again, but they must practice these moves to train their bodies to respond in the most effective way, without thinking."
According to Dennis, the black belts usually stay after the regular Saturday morning class for another two hours of black-belt training. Beginning students are not allowed to watch these sessions. One Saturday, however, his sensei told the beginner class that they could stay and observe.
"Some of the beginner students were very excited, thinking they were going to see some really neat advanced moves. However, their elation quickly faded.
The black belt workout started with the same Kata they were so bored with. Of course, these basic Kata were being done on a much higher level-sharper, stronger, smoother, more fluid, the end of each move serving as the beginning of the next. The beginners didn't understand that if your basics are poor, anything you attempt using that basic skill will be done poorly. On the other hand, when you sharpen a basic skill, anything and everything you do with that skill improves automatically."
Dennis's summation: "When your basics are good and strong, anything you do looks easy and effortless."
I particularly enjoyed the following from Tom's original post... "Will you subordinate your interest to the interests of the network mission?".
Such a key point tucked away in there - I hope everyone has considered that requirement!
Chris Jordan
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