We are always practicing something. All the time for we are beings of habits.
Habits are the most crucial forming element for our character.
We can speak all day long about this, that and the other.
But nothing speaks louder than what we do – especially what we do when no one is watching.
Stats Inc. did a study about reliability of baseball players. It turned out, when the game comes into the critical phase and the pressure is rising, the players drop 13% in their overall batting average.
This means even trained, highly skilled people with often lifelong engagement in their craft, with top motivation and strong mental capacities have difficulty to face situations of heightened stress.
They don’t fall over their feet and lose 90% of their ability, like we as untrained players who rely on luck would. But they lose 13%.
For when no one publicly saw them they put in the effort to train.
Sports people keep going, keep training and exposing themselves to great pressure, even though – or because? – they know under stress they probably wont succeed 100%.
What’s most important, they learn to win over themselves. Over their fears of failure and over the voice in them that says: You suck!
What I find particularly interesting is that many famous athletes declare publicly that they don’t enjoy training, for it’s so damn hard.
But the vision of rising to the best of their ability keeps them going. They focus on being proud of themselves and this motivates them to stretch their boundries and become stellar at what they do.
So is it talent that makes us great?
Is it luck that brings achievements into our lives?
I would say: It’s our habits.
No matter what we do, when we do it habitually we practice this behaviour and it will shape who we are.
The question is: What do we practice?
Using pretexts why we can not do what we know we should do?
Then we become stellar pretext users.
Or is what we practice sitting on a couch munching chips?
Great, then we will become stellar couch potatoes.
Our habits can be seen as the fate we create for ourselves.
This seems to be a bold statement and maybe it is.
But think of it. When we expect excellence from us behind closed doors when no one sees what we do, we set ourselves up for success in situations when times get rough.
And they do get rough sometimes. Life is not constant. Not easy to navigate.
Watching ones habits in times of stability and normalcy is key when we want to improve our life and our purpose. For we are always practicing something.
So what is your practice all about?
Much love,
Anselma
p.s. Playing Don Giovanni at the Opernsommer Wien, I was wondering how the Mandolin Aria would sound on a bassoon.
Find out HERE. The “Canzonetta Etude” is my free gift for you.
