You have to practice.
If you want to be the best at what you do … you have to practice. The truth of the matter is that people – adults – do not seem to internalize this message to the extent that they take this advice seriously. If you have not learned anything from me in the past 25 years, please listen to me today. There are no shortcuts to your success. You must dig in, take your shots, listen, learn, try, fail, adjust and succeed. You must practice.
Most people feel that wishing and hoping for future success will see them through to the promise land. They don’t have time to practice, and they don’t see the benefit of failure.
Let me share with you something I saw just yesterday as I attended a New York Mets Game (baseball) as a guest of the owner, Fred Wilpon which endorsed my position.
I won’t go into the “guest-thing” now. It is an amusing story that I will save for a later column.
As a guest of Fred Wilpon, (Mets Owner) our tickets provided access to a certain dining area inside the walls of Beautiful Citi Field. In a corner of the eating area was a window overlooking an indoors batting cage.
One hour before the game, a few of the Mets “starters” were taking batting practice and receiving last minute instruction from the hitting coach. (Out of sight and far away from the paying customers outside clamoring for autographs.) The shortstop was also throwing ball after ball into a screen situated 25 feet away from him. He wasn’t playing “catch.” He was tossing a ball to no one. Just warming up. He was practicing … all by himself.
WOW! Nobody saw this but me thanks to my special viewing area. These guys were “practicing” in a way I never imagined. It really hit home. I was impressed and affected.
Today’s question is directed toward me, but you a can also benefit from this question:
Am I practicing my trade every single chance I get? If not, why not? This is what true professionals do.
The Mets went on to win the game later in the day and the guy tossing the ball into the net played a pivitol role in the victory. It seems that hard work does pay off.