Practice Makes Perfect…Sometimes

The Beijing Olympics are finally here. And if the competition can live up to the incredible Opening Ceremony, we’re in store for a memorable two weeks.

Naturally, even to get invited to the Olympics takes a total commitment to health, diet, and of course practice, practice, practice. If you’ve ever seen a glimpse of an Olympian hopeful’s daily practice and workout regimen, you may be astonished.

While most of the world — including me — is slapping the snooze button at 6:30am, many Olympic athletes have already been sweating for an hour or two. Then they’re done for the day? Hardly, they’re just getting warmed up.

I’ve seen reports that some Olympians practice upwards of twelve to fourteen hours a day. I’m not sure I could do something fun for fourteen hours a day.

So, in conclusion most people would assume just like the expression that “Practice makes Perfect.” To excel at most anything, practice is vital. To this day, people still believe that 7-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong took performance enhancing drugs. But I would point to his rigorous twelve-hour days on his bike that enabled him to become the world’s greatest.

But for the rest of us who may never win an Olympic medal, we simply want to excel at our life — our career, our wealth, our marriage, perhaps our golf or tennis game, or picking up a bit more speed running or biking. And I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t take 12-14 hours of practice to reach the next level.

When it comes to improving yourself, I feel strongly that quality of practice more than quantity of practice determines your success. After all, we all know of colleagues that come to work early and stay late, yet spend much of their time at work socializing, making personal calls or taking breaks.

And I’m a perfect example of how massive hours do not always equate to incredible results . For years, I would use my lunch breaks at work to go to the gym and workout. Because I didn’t have time to shower afterwards, I wouldn’t really challenge my body. Yet, I knew several friends that worked out just three times a week, but each time they finished their workout, they were covered in sweat.

Naturally, in just a few months, I saw significant strides in their results and relatively little in mine.

So, yes, practice is essential in whatever dreams you wish to accomplish. But unless you use that time to challenge your mind, your body, and your performance, you may simply be eating up valuable hours.

Practice your craft. But more importantly, make each practice count — just like the Olympians.

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