Jeff White’s Blog

Desire

One of the key ingredients to success in any endeavor is desire. You have to want it; not just think it would be nice to have or enjoy- but really want it! It has to be important to you, and you must care about the end result. Caring about the end result is vital. Otherwise, you will never do what it takes to make it happen. Success, in any endeavor, requires effort. In many cases it requires prolonged, focused, sustained effort. The only way you can keep up the focus required for this kind of effort, is through your passion and desire for the achievement and enjoyment of the goal, or end result.

   In order to enjoy really great success, you must hone your desire to a laser like intensity until you are willing to do what it takes to achieve your goal. This, of course, does not mean that you are going to engage in practices that are illegal or unethical, but it does mean that you will commit to doing whatever it takes to see it through. It means you will read the books that will educate you on that particular subject as well as on related subjects. It means you will practice, drill and rehearse the skills you need, with precision, to be successful. It means you will plan and execute your plans, consistently adjust your plan, as a situation changes and calls for new ideas. It means you will uncover your strengths and work to make them stronger. It means you will commit to uncovering your weaknesses, in any area; you will work to alleviate them, or find ways to work around those weaknesses. It means you want “this” so much you will get out of your comfort zone and do what it takes. It means you will not give in to excuses. You will not give in to ridicule. It means you will not take the easy path just because it is easier- rather- you take only the path that will enable you to realize your dreams. You have to want it, intensely.  

    When you really want something, you don’t just casually think how nice it would be to have or do that thing. When you really want something, you think about it a lot. It occupies a great deal of your thoughts. You lie awake at night thinking about it- you are keenly interested in subjects and events that relate to your area of interest. You get excited when you think about it and it brings you joy. The work and preparation that is necessary to achieve the result is simply regarded as part of the process. You realize it as such and you gladly pay the price, for success.

  How can you hone this desire? You have to see the benefits of the success first. It has to mean something to you.  You have to already want whatever it is or the benefits that are derived from its realization. Then, you can work with the internal parts of you that may keep a lid on your desire. I once worked with a group of people to set goals for their production. It always seemed, that at the end of the period, the individuals only produced that which they had a desire to produce- even if the company had set a higher goal for them. They only achieved what they saw themselves achieving or what they truly desired to produce. Not until they raised their personal level of desired success, did they realize a higher measure of success.

  How can you raise this desire? First, truly see the benefits are derived from the realization of the goal or the project. The results do not have to benefit you personally in order to be meaningful. You may derive great pleasure and internal benefit from helping others- this quite often results in a deep sense of satisfaction. A project at work may benefit the company as a whole, or a particular segment of the company. Of course, the results may benefit you or your family directly. The key is to sit down and write out or think about the benefits that will be realized.

  Keep the end result and the benefits in front of you, thinking about them often. If it’s a personal vision or desire, have pictures and other reminders in a notebook, on a board where you can see it or in a folder that you refer to regularly. Some people write down their goals and the benefits and carry them in their wallet or purse. The key is to think about the benefits and the outcomes and refer to them on a regular basis.

  This is especially important when you hit the inevitable problems. Every project encounters a bottleneck somewhere that requires planning and problem solving. At times, during these instances, one can lose the enthusiasm one had for the project or idea. The desire to give up may seem to become stronger than the desire to succeed. It is precisely at these times that one needs to focus on ones’ positive desires and remember why they began in the first place and what they wanted to accomplish.

   Desire is more than simple enthusiasm. Enthusiasm will grow out of desire, but a deep seated desire is the driving force behind all great accomplishments. One may be enthusiastic about something until the problems arise and then the enthusiasm wanes. A deep seated desire however, will be the catalyst to push past the disappointment and be the force that looks for a solution. If your desire is strong enough, it will be the impetus that finds a way to make the vision work.

 Develop and maintain this deep seated desire. Keep it honed and focused. Remember always why you are doing what you are doing. Keep it steadfast in your mind. Do not lose sight of the goal.

  Also remember that you may have several different desires that have competing priorities. It will be up to you to keep those priorities in balance as much as possible. Sometimes, this means focusing on something to the exclusion of other projects or ideas, but do not forget to go back and give those other projects the needed attention they deserve as well.

Jeff White

Further thoughts on Vision

   Vision is an indispensable dynamic to success in any endeavor. Vision is how we perceive both the end result and additionally, is an integral portion of the path that leads to the manifestation of the end result. For this reason it is important to realize that vision is both future and present. The future aspect of vision helps to define where we are going. The present aspect of vision defines the here and now and will aid in informing the future aspect of vision.

    It is also important to realize that in many cases, our current situation is a culmination of our collective vision to this point in time. Vision is not singular in nature. We have a series of visions that inform any major overriding vision. All of these must be accounted for if one is to experience a balanced and high level of performance. We have a separate vision for who we are, the various roles we play in our life, how we spend our free time, our work time, how we feel about ourselves as a parent, a spouse, an employer or employee, or any aspect of our existence. These are all of our self concepts- they are the visions of how we see ourselves. To the degree that they are in harmony with each other- the greater degree will be our peace, efficiency and effectiveness. To the degree that these areas of self concept or personal visions are at odds with each other- the greater degree of frustration and stress we will experience.

    Plainly stated- the future vision is our goal. It is what we want the end result to look like once all is achieved. It is vitally important that we begin with the end in mind. To do this, sit quietly and listen to your heart- to that deepest part of you. How do you feel about the project, the outcome, your life, the relationship? What does the outcome look like to you? Where do you see it going and what do you want it to look like? Define it to yourself in detail. What will it look like- how will you feel once the culmination is attained?

Now, work backward from there to ascertain what is needed to achieve the goal. What help will you need? Are their other people involved? If so, how will you elicit their assistance? How will you be able to motivate them? What skills will you need that you do not have now? What skills will you need to develop and strengthen? What partnerships will you need to form? What resources will be needed- do you possess or have access to them now? If not, how will you gain access to them?

   All of these are important considerations in forming the plans to realize your vision. All of these components are part of the well formed vision and aid in the realization of the goal. While it is true that you may not realize all that you will need at the outset- the act of visualizing and planning are crucial to the success of the realization. Many people utilize visual aids such as vision boards- pictures that represent their dreams, visions, goals. Others write out or verbalize every day their vision so that it is cemented and refreshed at every opportunity. All of these are valid and aid in keeping the vision crystal clear.

  It is this clarity of vision that is vital to its completion. If one is fuzzy about the outcome, or if one loses sight of the vision in the day to day activities of life, then the final result will reflect that lack of focus. Clarity must be maintained at every step along the way in order to achieve the full potential of the desired result.

   This brings us to the present day aspect of vision. Every major accomplishment or realization is built one day at a time, one experience at a time, is prepared for one day at a time. Vision is not solely a future dynamic but also it incorporates a present day component. Vision is part of the force that propels us forward. It creates a future pull on us and it empowers us in the present. Your vision for the present helps to create the reality of the present. Change your vision, change your reality. How do you see the present?

   One of the important things to realize is that everything affects everything else. Every details matters. A negative mindset in one area- which translates into a negative vision for that area can affect other arenas of your life or your vision. It is vitally important to dig deep with yourself to see what it is you truly believe- for this is your real vision. It is from this vision that you create your present and future. Wise is the one who heeds the advice- Know Thyself!

  Your expectations emanate from your vision. Your expectation of the activities you are engaged at this moment in time come from your vision as to how you are going to spend your time. This is a critically important idea to grasp. Everything emanates from your inner pictures and beliefs of your life and your experiences. Your vision of your present and your future will set the stage for the activities you will or will not engage in. Feel hopeless about a situation and this vision of hopelessness will inform your actions or inactions. Change your vision now and your actions will change now.

  Every vision is made up of a series of other visions or goals. We have self concepts and expectations that encompass every area of life. In each of these areas we function with greater or lesser clarity. It is up to us to bring focus and clarity to each of these various areas. The more clarity we bring to each area or issue, the greater the impact in our lives and the more we can fulfill the potential involved within each of these areas.

   How do we bring clarity? How do we get in touch with our inner visions? We get in touch with our inner vision by listening to our emotions in these areas and by noticing the inner pictures in our mind and heart when we think of these things. Often, we may have an intellectual idea of what our inner visions or beliefs are on a particular matter- but we consistently have trouble bringing the vision to reality. In this case- listen to your emotions and watch the inner pictures in your minds eye when you think on these things. Are they all in harmony with your desired end result? If not- why not? Where are they divergent from each other? Note these areas and begin to re-envision them, altering the internal belief until they are in harmony.  For example, you may find yourself desirous of more clients. You see yourself helping a great number of clients and earning a handsome income, however, you have a vision of the extra work and hours that it would take to generate that level of business. Now you notice that you have negative feelings about the extra workload and how it will take time away from other aspects of your life. These incongruous feelings and visions compete for priority and will negatively impact your success. You may press forward but feel an increased level of stress or resentment to your work at the time it takes away from your other interests or family. Or you may elect to not go after the clientele and feel frustrated and stifled in your career choices. Both of these will lead to a lack of focus and a lack of fulfillment of the potentials involved in each area. This lack of congruency can lead to self sabotaging behavior that may go unnoticed consciously for quite some time, but will, nevertheless have an impact on your success. Or you could find more effective and efficient ways of doing business. Perhaps you could incorporate systems or people into your vision so that you create a more synergistic way of harmonizing your goals and visions. In this way, you can fulfill all the visions about which you truly feel deeply about. Remember- where there is sufficient clarity of vision and determination of will- there is a way. It is up to you to do the research and creative thinking so you can find the answers you will need.

      Now add to this the visions that the people around you have regarding the same issues and you begin to see that this can be quite complex. The key is to either surround yourself with people that share your same values and your vision or talk through with them enough to ascertain what their visions are in the areas that affect you. We cannot always, nor would we want to move people out of our life who do not share a certain vision of ours. It is important though to recognize where we differ and make the proper allowances. It is critical however, that with any group of people who are after a similar goal that there be an overarching vision to which all agree and internally own if there is to be dynamic fulfillment of that particular potential. Two or more people who share the same vision can harness the exponentially increased energy to make the vision a reality. Conversely, a person or group of people who do not share the same vision or values can hold the rest back from fulfilling the potential of the endeavor.

    In conclusion, it is vitally important to harness the power of congruence and harmony both within yourself and your personal visions as well as with those who surround you. If you are having trouble realizing your personal visions, the first place to look is inside yourself. Do you have clarity about what you want and what you are after? Do you have harmony and congruence between the various concepts you have about yourself, the roles you play and your personal visions? This is a fundamental key in the realization of our desires.

Jeff White

9/27/09           

Repost from the CDPE website:

  Jeff White, CDPE, GRI, CRS336-316-6565

jeff@jeffwhiterealty.com

Vision

   I wrote previously on the eight key ingredients for success. However, upon reflection, I want to amend those comments and add another ingredient- vision.

   Before intent, before planning, before commitment, there must be vision- an inner picture of what you want to accomplish. Your vision is what sets the sights, the compass of where you go. Vision is how you perceive the final product. Vision is so essential to accomplishment of your goals that, in fact, vision itself, is not only the goal but also the empowering influence that drives the other factors.

   Vision begins with the inner picture of the outcome. It’s what you want to accomplish. Vision is how you see the end result. Without this initial creative aspect- one may ramble through their endeavors without ever producing anything of significance.

  How does one create the initial vision? Simply sit down, get quiet and ask yourself what do you want your life or any aspect of it to look like? Ultimately, what do you want your business or any other project to look like? Any project you wish to tackle starts the same question- what does the end look like to you.

   By starting with end in mind you have a much better feel for what is needed and where you need to go in order to accomplish that desired result. If you only start at the beginning and try to figure it out as you go along- you will never have the guiding force of vision. Instead, you will have meandering dynamic of the journey.

   This wandering dynamic is not bad- there is a time to wander- and there is a time to build. Only you can decide when the time is right for which activity. But once it is time to build- then vision becomes paramount. (Technically, even the wandering requires the vision of seeing yourself wandering)

   Truth be told, you are right now the composite and the sum of the totality of your visions up to now. Everything begins with vision- the result is the effect, the vision is the cause. If you do not like your result- change your vision first, then change the other dynamics I wrote of earlier-desire, intent, commitment, patience, planning, preparation, execution and persistence.

   How do you form or alter a vision? Begin, as we said, by thinking about the end first. What outcomes or results are available?  Do the research required to see what effects are possible. What have others who have been in your same position done in the past? What worked for them? What didn’t work for them? What can you learn about the possibilities.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

   After you have explored the possibilities decided what you what your project, your story, your business, your relationship, your life to look like.  Gather articles, pictures, items that are representative to you of your journey and the result.

  Picture the end result in your mind and then right it down. This is your vision. You may change your vision as time goes by and more information is brought to your attention. But know, you create what you see on the inside of you. All external creation is the product first of an internal creation, This can be a sobering thought if we do not like our habitual external creations- as the cause is most often within us.

   As we move through the other phases of creation and execution- vision plays another important part. Vision empowers us to keep going and move ever forward- vision fuels our drives and desires. For this reason, we want to keep the visions we employ at the forefront of out thinking and of securely resonate with our emotions.

It is very easy to get caught up in the day to day minutia and tasks of our life and we then forget what was impelling us initially. Remember the sage advice about alligators and swamps? Keep the vision securely in the forefront of your thinking. Remind yourself every day why you do what you do, for whom you do what you do and what it is you wish to accomplish.

  Find ways to reinforce the visions you have with you. Write your vision down each day and review it. Place pictures before you that represent the culmination of your vision when fulfilled.  Gather friends around you who share your visions or at the very least support you. Remind and empower your employees with the vision and the ability to carry it out on your behalf.

   Another important aspect of vision and its motivating force in your life- be sure that your visions are in harmony with each other and with your values. You may have one vision of building a thriving business and another of playing golf three to four times a week. Unless you can find a way to combine those two visions together so that they support each other- one of them is doomed for failure. You may have a vision of building a sizable net worth and another vision of living luxuriously and spending frivolously. These can both be accomplished but at least, in the beginning, probably not at the same time!

  Another aspect is keep your visions in harmony with your values. It is a sad day to have built a dream but realized it was at the cost of your self esteem and your own personal sense of integrity. Know what you value in life and in yourself. Let those values help to inform your vision and dreams. If you can dream it, you can achieve it, but make sure that when you achieve it you like the person who both made it come true and enjoys the result.

    A parting comment is also to make sure that you are clear about your own visions. Quite often, I meet people whose visions regarding the outcomes are unclear or unfocused. This lack of clarity will impact the fulfillment of your dreams and the quality of the final product. Be clear about what you want and be clear with yourself on why you want what you want. Listen to your emotions and your thoughts- they will inform you on how you truly feel about something.

  If you are unfocused, so will be your final product. If you are insincere, so will be your final product. Also- if you are focused- so will be the outcome. If you are determined, joyful, passionate- then your results will have an accord with your inner vision and drive.

Good luck!

Jeff

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Have a great day!

Jeff

The Eight Must Haves’ to be successful.

   Growing up, many of us were raised to believe that if you worked hard and were lucky, you would be a success. Yet, many never reach that feeling of having arrived at success. Many never achieve success at all, even though they work hard all their life. Why is this? What does it take to be successful?

   There are a number of ingredients that go into building any successful business as well as a successful life. Success is not an accident. Achievement of success is the result and culmination of certain ingredients that must be present in order to be successful. The requirements are desire, intent, commitment, planning, preparation, practice, precise execution and the willingness to get back up when knocked down.

    Before one can achieve any measure of success, that person must want it. If you do not deeply care about success, then you probably will never achieve it. If you only wish for it or only have a mediocre desire for success, then the only level of success you will achieve, if you achieve any measure of success, will be mediocre. Before all achievement is the desire to achieve. Before all great achievement, is an intense desire to achieve. That desire may be to help as many people as possible, the desire may be to serve the world or to make millions of dollars. The bottom line however, is that nothing begins without desire.

   Intent is the focusing of desire upon a certain end or result. Whereas desire can be a hope, a wish or some other thought that lacks energy, intent requires the concentration of energy and thought to the desired end result. Intention gives the direction to the emotional energy of desire. Intention will cause a person to be accountable for their actions. Intention will get someone out of bed and into the life that they desire. Intention will cause someone to do what is necessary to produce the desired end result. Nothing great happens except through intention.

   Commitment is the next must have for success. Commitment is intention with the resolve to do whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes to achieve success. If one wants to be successful, one must not only desire it, but desire so greatly and be so committed to its fulfillment in that person’s life that they are willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Intention and desire are honed to a razors edge by the force of commitment. Commitment is not a one time event, it requires an on going, continuous decision to fully realize the end result.

   Inherent in the characteristics of commitment is patience. Commitment states that no matter how long it takes, you will be there to see it through. Many things may come our way to test our resolve, let them come. If you know that what you want to achieve is in your best interest and the best interest of those to whom you are committed, then never back down. There will always be frustrations and setbacks. In part, these come because your own beliefs may need to be tested in the fires of experience. It may be that you did not think clearly enough or plan for unforeseen contingencies well enough. That is fine. Let them be. Learn from the mistakes if you can and move forward, ever forward. People may get in your way, but be certain of your resolve and your end desire and move forward.  You may be delighted to find out that once you are fully committed no matter how long it takes, the desired end result comes more quickly.

   The planning stages are probably one of the most important phases and must haves’ of being successful. Planning encompasses not just what you would like to have happen in your business, but it requires you define what success means to you, how you plan to achieve it, when you plan to achieve it and how you plan to maintain it. As we are in a constantly evolving business climate, it requires that you constantly reevaluate your plans, make new plans and to be aware of any shifts in the market. It has been said that plans are nothing but planning is everything. This is very true.

   The first thing to plan for is how you define success. The definition for success is actually a very personal and private endeavor. What passes for success for one person could be a definition of failure for someone else.  What do you want your business to look like and here is the most important part-why?

   For some, if they make enough money to get by, they are successful. For others, if they make a million dollars, create a product, provide a service or are simply happy, they feel that they are successful. All of this is true and valid. We each judge our own definition of success differently. Yet we all need to have our own definition.

 Whatever definition or goal you define or set, that will be your benchmark and ultimately, your reality. Therefore it is important to set high goals and lofty definitions for your success. By doing so, you will challenge yourself to dig deep within all your formidable internal and external resources to achieve that goal and make that definition a reality. In doing so, you will broaden your abilities and deepen your understanding of life, your self and others. In the end, you will be a happier, more confident and wealthier person because you chose to set, go after and obtain lofty goals and objectives.

   If you are happy just getting by, then don’t complain when prices escalate and you can no longer afford the lifestyle you once enjoyed or wish to enjoy. You simply are receiving the end result of your own expectations, beliefs, definitions and planning.

   Once you have defined your success, then you must begin to plan how you will achieve it. What will take? What further education may be necessary? How many telephone calls every day? How many letters? How many customers served? How much money will you earn this year? How about next year? How the year the after that? How many units will it take for you sell to achieve the desired end result. How will you sell that many? What resources can you muster to assist you in that end? How much time will you spend with your family? What vacations will you take in the next three years and where will you go?

  Also, you must plan how you will grow your business. Will you need extra staff? Yes, then when? What positions must be filled? What training will be provided?

  Also, how will you spend the money? How much will you invest of your income each year? In what will you invest? What would you like to buy? For what would you like to save?

  All of this planning may at first seem time consuming. It may also seem that your time may be better spent working “in the business”. However, in order for any great level of success to be achieved, you must work “on your business” as much or more than you work in your business. This principle is true not only for business for our personal lives

   The next must is preparation. In sales, this requires going over in your head and on paper what you are going to say and not say. It means that you will have answers for the questions that have not been asked yet by the client, but that you know will or should be asked. Preparation means that you have all the right materials at hand to do the job correctly. It means that you have performed the research, know the numbers and have the answers.  Proper preparation will give you the confidence you need to succeed. When you know that you have trained properly, then when it is performance time, you can relax and know that the training will pay off. Never let someone else be responsible for your training. You alone are responsible for your success. No one else.

   Precise execution is a must of utmost importance. You may execute any program, action, presentation or rehearsed script, but if what you have practiced is flawed, then the execution will be flawed and so then will be the result. Precise execution does not mean waiting until you have it completely perfect before you begin however. It does mean perform at your level of expertise now but always, always, work on improving your skill. Do not let fear stand in the way. It is only in the real life execution of a plan that we indeed find its failings due, perhaps, even to factors that we did not think we would encounter. That is fine. Learn, adapt and move forward. Execute precisely and the results will mirror the work that has gone into the planning and preparation stages. The more we are able to experience, the more we are able to learn. The more we are able to learn, the more we are able to apply correctly. The more we are able to apply correctly, the more we are able to succeed.

   The willingness to get back up when knocked down is crucial to success. Success does not generally come overnight. Instead it comes through trials, struggles, growth, setbacks and more trials. The key to constant improvement is through focused, intentional, committed and planned effort. Keep focused on what lies ahead and not on the troubles that have befallen you. In this way, you will keep your eyes on the prize while enjoying the journey in the process.

Long term thinking

   I have been giving some thought as to how we can make better decisions in our lives.

The decisions we make are vital as they determine to a great degree the course of our lives. The higher the quality of the decisions we can make, the better our overall outcomes will be.

   So how do we make better decisions? What factors come into play that could enable us to gather and sift through the available information and thus settle on a proper perspective or resolution? A significant key to this ability is to adapt a long term perspective in our thinking.

   Instead of focusing on the short term effects of our decisions, focus instead on the long term ramifications. How will this particular decision affect me or those for whom it will impact, in the future? Do we know all the people or circumstances upon whom the decision will have an effect?  

    If we only look at the here and now, or the short term view, we do not see the greater importance of our individual decisions. We may feel good about a course of action that seems not to have any lasting consequences, only to find later, that there were unintended repercussions. We may also think we have an urgent demand to consider, yet, when we look out beyond the current time frame, we see that the decision is inconsequential in the greater sense.

   By adapting a longer time period perspective, we take into account more relevant data. The decision to eat that fatty foods and snacks means that we feel good now, but also that we injure our health later. The decision to speak harshly to someone now, may allow us to emotionally vent, but it can alienate the other person and strain relationships. The calls that we make today affect our lives and our business tomorrow and years to come.

  Many today have found themselves without funds, having lived from paycheck to paycheck, never giving enough thought to the future. The resulting outcome is that, as we have encountered this severe economic downturn, they have been devastated. Others, who have saved more money and lived on less, have weathered through these hard times with a bit more ease.

   In business, instead of planning for the next quarter or the next year, plan for the next decade. Ask your self, what are the long range effects of my decisions today and what might we encounter in the future? What do we want the next ten or twenty years to look like? What trends may emerge that we could capitalize upon? What technologies will become obsolete and what will arise on the horizon?

  In our personal lives- what do we want our life to look like in ten or twenty years? How do we want to feel, what do we want to look like? What kind of person do we want to be? How do we want to interact with the important people in my life? Each decision we make today affects that outcome down the road.

  It’s important to remember that everything affects everything else. Nothing exists by itself. Every thought and action we have or take today affects us tomorrow and the next day and it affects those around us. Some of the effects are small, but gather up force as they gain momentum. Some are indeed small from start to finish but may also impact someone else to a greater thought or action as well. Every thing affects everything else. Nothing is separate from the whole. How can it be?

   So look farther into the future each time you make decision. Train your mind to take into account as many new variables and factors as you can. Plan with a twenty year time frame in mind. Ask yourself- what are both the ongoing and possible effects of this decision and course of action.

By doing so, we will begin to make wiser choices resulting in better consequences. As a result, each subsequent decision will be built on a stronger foundation, giving rise to a life well lived.

The tax credit for first time home buyers runs out Nov 30, 2009! You must by then- or you do not qualify! This outstanding credit has been responsible for the upsurge in the housing market. Lots of buyers have taken advantage of it!

If you are interested how you can take advantage of this wonderful opportunity or know of someone we can help- call me today!

Jeff

Practice

   One of the books I am currently reading is a fascinating book by Geoff Colvin entitled Talent is Overrated.

   This was one of those books that I picked up at the bookstore as I was simply wandering around. The title seemed interesting and the back cover comments were intriguing. Its one of those treasures you didn’t intend to find but are very glad you did!

   In the book, the author discusses the value of talent and much more importantly, the value of deliberate practice. He delves into a vast amount of research in which the idea of which is more important- talent- the “gifts” or innate abilities one might have, and the deliberate cultivation of skill and practice. He looks into the idea of which creates the great performance- nature or nuture…and so then I begin to ponder the idea.

   As a child and as a teen ager, I was never particularly interested in sports. In part, this was due to the fact that I thought that in order to excel at a sport, one would have to have some sort of natural inclination or innate talent for the sport. I supposed that I would know if I had this inward talent somehow- and I most assuredly did not.

  I remember trying to shoot baskets by myself at the basketball court at the local park near my boyhood home. Why, I am not certain, but it seemed that it might be a fun thing to do. I was certainly not very proficient at it and as such, did not find it much fun. Dan McCall, a friend of the same age and one who was quite adept at most every sport it seemed, came upon me and asked if I wanted to play. I declined stating that I wasn’t very good at basketball. His remark was simply- “Jeff- that’s a matter a practice.”

  His remark was noted, but its importance really didn’t hit me until years later when I was reflecting on how skills are developed. I remember his comment and how easy his answer was- simply practice. This idea of practice and more importantly, the quality of that practice is one of the most defining characteristics of truly great performances.

   Later in life, as I was trying to improve my skills in business, this idea of practice kept coming up. Indeed, for me, it was the only way of becoming more proficient in the skill sets I needed and short of a supreme divine intervention, it was the only way I would ever get better. One can read books and attend seminars, talk to great people but unless one is willing to hone those skills through constant practice, then the other activities would never add their full value to that persons’ life and experiences.

  Now, simply practicing a skill or action repeatedly does not guarantee great performance. The quality, intensity and length of time invested in that practice are key determinants of the outcome of the action. It is practicing the right things, over and over with the right mental commitment that makes the difference. I have long had a saying- perfect practice produces perfect results. A friend once took exception to the phrase “perfect” so I altered it for a while- precise practice produces precision results. If we practice incorrectly a skill, we will be get better at performing that skill incorrectly. It’s vitally important that one practices whatever skill they wish to perform correctly. In the course of getting better, we will learn better techniques and mindsets with which to perform at even higher levels. These new techniques and mindsets also need to then be practiced repeatedly in order to produce the high levels of results one wishes to attain.

  What does it take to produce at high levels? Practice. Constant, repetitive, purposeful, precise practice. What does it take to produce at high levels and enjoy the process more? A deep inward desire to perform well. Within each of us, we need to decide how important is the action we wish to perform. Is it worth performing well? Then, after we have acknowledged the desire to perform well, we then need to make a commitment to performing well. We need to commit to excellence. It is in this commitment and the subsequent follow through with the requisite actions that we find within us, the strength of mind and heart to perform the actions necessary to produce a great performance.

   Great performances are never by accident. Great performances repeatedly performed are never preformed by accident. They are always preceded by precise preparation and practice. Imagine a world class musician climbing onstage and giving a world class performance- do you imagine he or she did not practice? Imagine a world class athlete- how many hours do you think they might have practiced on the field or court to hone and perfect their skills. Or imagine a speaker or a comedian giving an excellent presentation- do you think they just stood up and stated speaking in an impromptu fashion. Doubtful at best would be my answer.

   How does this impact us? Easily- every skill we wish to develop can be developed if we commit to the precise practice of that skill. It might a business skill such as presenting an idea, researching a project, preparing a paper, hiring staff. It might be more interpersonal skills such as listening, communicating, complimenting or speaking to groups. It might be time management or planning skills, playing an instrument. It may even be sports related such as tennis, golf, martial arts, running, weight lifting. The skill itself does not matter. Any skill, whether it is internal or external can be practiced and practiced well so as to produce a high level of performance.

  It is important to mention again that one does not need to have or feel that one has an innate talent for the skill. It does not matter at all. Any skill can be developed if your desire to develop the skill is strong enough. Remember, it always begins on the inside. Do you want it enough to do what it takes to develop the skills necessary to perform well? The good news is that it is all within your reach, all within your choices to be better and perform at excellent levels. You simply need to want it enough and practice enough with precision the skills necessary to perform well.

   In order to sustain the actions necessary, then you must at times, dig deep within yourself to reaffirm the desire to do well. Athletes and musicians do not always enjoy the long and repetitive sessions of practicing required to be world class performers, but they do what is needed of them in order to be better. The same principle goes for us. We may not always enjoy the process but we will enjoy the benefits we reap by performing at the highest levels we can. It is important at times like those to look back at the progress we have made and to look forward at the rewards we are receiving and will achieve by our increased skill set in whatever the category we so choose.

    In conclusion, pick skill you wish to develop. Decide how strong your desire is to develop that skill. Research how others who perform the same skill at the highest levels do so. Practice repeatedly that skill. Constantly reassess how you are practicing and performing. Practice before you have to perform so that when you are in the position to perform, you will have an increased level of confidence and have the skills necessary to perform well. Then assess your performance, look for ways to improve and then alter your practice sessions to incorporate the desired result. By doing so, you will enjoy the benefits and rewards! So…enjoy!