The amateur tries for the heroic leap, secretly hoping to avoid the drudgery of practice. He runs to the gym and immediately doubles the weight on the bar. She decides to practice that spectacular trick shot. He flips to the end of the lesson book and starts working on that famous – but way too difficult – piece of music.
Not the pro. She knows that a secret of great practice is simplicity. She chooses a relevant activity she can do today without heroic effort. He knows that frequent repetition of that simple act will gently and indirectly start to shape him into the kind of person who can do the heroic. Eventually. Someday. But at that point, it won’t be heroic because it will seem normal, maybe even effortless.
Until then, pros practice.
You can be that pro. If The Grind gives us any gift, it’s the opportunity for repetition. Why not choose a character trait you want to cultivate and figure out a relevant, simple practice? Why not start today?
