Think of the greatest athlete, musician, artist or business professional
that inspires you. Were the amazing talents such as Michael Jordan, Tiger
Woods and Warren Buffet each born with a special gift of abilities wired
from birth that most of us don't have?
Believe it or not, research is showing that it's not that simple. In fact,
many child prodigies don't go on to major success in the area of their early
gifts. And many of the greatest performers, athletes and business people
never showed any early signs of aptitude. So, how did they become great at
what they do?
The Research on Great Performance
In 1993, Florida State University professor K. Anders Ericsson and his
colleagues published a paper on 'expert performance' which, along with the
additional studies around the world that it inspired, made some very
interesting discoveries:
* Nobody is "great" without lots of work. Early aptitude is not a
predictor for greatness in a given field without consistent practice over a
long period of time.
* The most accomplished people in any field need about 10 years of
hard work before they become "world class". They call this the 10 Year Rule.
Many of these scientists are now saying that "targeted" natural gifts do not
exist at all. You are not born a gold-medal Olympic athlete, CEO or chess
grandmaster. Rather, greatness is achieved by hard, focused work over many
years.
Tiger Woods started practicing golf at 18 months, and was encouraged to
practice by his father. He had been practicing intensively for 15 years
before winning the U.S. Amateur Championship at age 18.
But you and I both know people who work very hard. Many work for decades at
a job or hobby without approaching greatness. Why don't they become "world
class", then?
It turns out that it's not just hard work that is required. What is required
is focused, consistent practice over a long period of time. Something the
researchers are calling deliberate practice.
What Does This All Mean?
We don't have to be born with a special talent in order to be great at
something. We just have to have the desire to constantly improve our skill.
Most people won't go through the long and difficult process of deliberate
practice. But this is what can separate you from the pack. This is what
makes great performance rare: most people either don't believe they can do
it, or aren't willing to do the work to become truly great at their passion.
So ask yourself, are you ready push yourself to the next level?
Showing posts with label goal setting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goal setting. Show all posts
Friday, August 5, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
"Got Motivation?" - By Guest Blogger Natalie Rossier
Got Motivation?
We hear it almost everyday and know that we need to workout, eat a balanced diet and build strength to live longer, healthier lives. However, funny as it may sound, sometimes we need a little extra push more than our health to get to the gym. We live in one of the 'happiest places on earth,' so why not take advantage of it! Start hiking, trail running, biking, swimming, try playing beach volleyball or take a walk down Avila's Bob Jones Trail. Taking advantage of our beautiful scenery and outdoor playground here in SLO is a great motivator to get to the gym. For myself, working out and staying healthy and in shape is fun. Why, you may ask? I use these outdoor activities to get my own tushy into a combat class, cycle class, or my own strength workout. This way, my workouts do not only benefit my body and overall health, they allow me to hike to the top of Madonna Mountain without passing out;) Getting involved in fun physical activities you enjoy can lead to achieving your ultimate health and fitness goals such as losing weight, running a race, building bone density and gaining control of your future health. Motivation for your health can be found anytime, anywhere but sometimes you might have to look for it. I ask you this, what is your motivation?
~Natalie Rossier, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and your biggest fan
We hear it almost everyday and know that we need to workout, eat a balanced diet and build strength to live longer, healthier lives. However, funny as it may sound, sometimes we need a little extra push more than our health to get to the gym. We live in one of the 'happiest places on earth,' so why not take advantage of it! Start hiking, trail running, biking, swimming, try playing beach volleyball or take a walk down Avila's Bob Jones Trail. Taking advantage of our beautiful scenery and outdoor playground here in SLO is a great motivator to get to the gym. For myself, working out and staying healthy and in shape is fun. Why, you may ask? I use these outdoor activities to get my own tushy into a combat class, cycle class, or my own strength workout. This way, my workouts do not only benefit my body and overall health, they allow me to hike to the top of Madonna Mountain without passing out;) Getting involved in fun physical activities you enjoy can lead to achieving your ultimate health and fitness goals such as losing weight, running a race, building bone density and gaining control of your future health. Motivation for your health can be found anytime, anywhere but sometimes you might have to look for it. I ask you this, what is your motivation?
~Natalie Rossier, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and your biggest fan
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Your Healthiest Year Yet!
Over the last few months my business partner and I have been reviewing our companies financials, marketing plan, organizational structure and overall feelings about the direction and health of our business. From our discussions we’ve come up with goals and strategies for a successful 2010 by creating specific financial measures and departmental objectives and discussed what we could modify, change, continue or improve for next year. Of course our team has been with us every step of the way and has provided valuable input and support. Each week we have a habit of reviewing our following week’s performance as well as each month and each quarter. As a business owner it’s vital to keep a pulse on our company’s performance as everyone’s livelihood is at stake. Have you figured out why I’m sharing this information with you yet and how it relates to health?
The fact of the matter is that so many of us go through the appropriate steps to ensure our success as an employee, a manager or a business owner. Each day we wake up, shower, and eat breakfast (I hope you eat breakfast...but more importantly I hope you shower!) drive to work (or bike), review our daily dash board, answer emails, communicate with the appropriate authorities and diligently go about our tasks. With time and effort we hope that our months and years of hard work will pay off so we can continue moving forward with life in beautiful San Luis Obispo County. The question I’d like to pose is this; do you have the same strategy when it comes to your health? Do you take time to review your “health performance” throughout the year? Do you also review your blood panels as you do your profit and loss statement? Do you place as much importance on your daily workouts as you do your daily performance at work? Have you created a specific plan and strategy for reaching your goals? As a responsible member of your team, manager or owner I know you take time to have team meetings at work to discuss the health of your company; have you taken time to discuss the personal health of your family?
The trouble with much of our educational system is that it attempts to teach us the skills and concept to get ahead in the workforce but not necessarily the skills and concepts to sustain and improve our health. For example, how much emphasis do you see placed on health and physical education compared to science and math? I understand that great mathematic skills may help our students land a high paying job but it really doesn’t matter much if they have a heart attack at the age of 40 due to unhealthy behaviors. Much of this personal education is left up to chance. The reason I say “chance” is because health has a tendency to be passed down from generation to generation. If your mom and dad were overweight there’s a good chance that you’re overweight as well. If your mom and dad were active and took you on a daily bike ride and encouraged you to participate in sports or other physical activities there’s a good chance that you’re a healthy and active individual. I grew up in an environment where sports and physical activities weren’t necessarily discouraged but the benefits, planning and education behind good health wasn’t taught. My mom was the epitome of healthy cooking but unfortunately she didn’t take the time to teach me anything about it (I’ve since taught myself). And while most of our family friends considered my mother a “health nut,” she sadly succumbed to cancer at the young age of 41. Unfortunately my mom missed her annual medical exam one year and forgot to reschedule until the following year. It was during this time that a tumor had the opportunity to grow. What if she never missed that appointment? If the doctor had located the tumor earlier would he have been more successful with the treatment plan thereby improving her chance to live? I’ll never know the answer to that question but I do know that if a business owner or manager skipped their budget and marketing planning process for 2010 they would have an unsuccessful year or perhaps fired for his or her negligence.
The take home message from this article is a simple one and a good reminder. We take many things for granted but let’s not let our health be one of them. While last year was a challenging year for many of us we have the opportunity to create a successful 2010 and I encourage you to take the same care with your health and the health of your family as you do with everything else in your life. Take time to discuss health with your significant other, your family, children, and your children’s friends and with your co-workers. Take as much care and planning with your health as you do the education of your children or your retirement plan. If you do, you may find you’ll have to contribute more to your retirement as you may add years to your life.
The fact of the matter is that so many of us go through the appropriate steps to ensure our success as an employee, a manager or a business owner. Each day we wake up, shower, and eat breakfast (I hope you eat breakfast...but more importantly I hope you shower!) drive to work (or bike), review our daily dash board, answer emails, communicate with the appropriate authorities and diligently go about our tasks. With time and effort we hope that our months and years of hard work will pay off so we can continue moving forward with life in beautiful San Luis Obispo County. The question I’d like to pose is this; do you have the same strategy when it comes to your health? Do you take time to review your “health performance” throughout the year? Do you also review your blood panels as you do your profit and loss statement? Do you place as much importance on your daily workouts as you do your daily performance at work? Have you created a specific plan and strategy for reaching your goals? As a responsible member of your team, manager or owner I know you take time to have team meetings at work to discuss the health of your company; have you taken time to discuss the personal health of your family?
The trouble with much of our educational system is that it attempts to teach us the skills and concept to get ahead in the workforce but not necessarily the skills and concepts to sustain and improve our health. For example, how much emphasis do you see placed on health and physical education compared to science and math? I understand that great mathematic skills may help our students land a high paying job but it really doesn’t matter much if they have a heart attack at the age of 40 due to unhealthy behaviors. Much of this personal education is left up to chance. The reason I say “chance” is because health has a tendency to be passed down from generation to generation. If your mom and dad were overweight there’s a good chance that you’re overweight as well. If your mom and dad were active and took you on a daily bike ride and encouraged you to participate in sports or other physical activities there’s a good chance that you’re a healthy and active individual. I grew up in an environment where sports and physical activities weren’t necessarily discouraged but the benefits, planning and education behind good health wasn’t taught. My mom was the epitome of healthy cooking but unfortunately she didn’t take the time to teach me anything about it (I’ve since taught myself). And while most of our family friends considered my mother a “health nut,” she sadly succumbed to cancer at the young age of 41. Unfortunately my mom missed her annual medical exam one year and forgot to reschedule until the following year. It was during this time that a tumor had the opportunity to grow. What if she never missed that appointment? If the doctor had located the tumor earlier would he have been more successful with the treatment plan thereby improving her chance to live? I’ll never know the answer to that question but I do know that if a business owner or manager skipped their budget and marketing planning process for 2010 they would have an unsuccessful year or perhaps fired for his or her negligence.
The take home message from this article is a simple one and a good reminder. We take many things for granted but let’s not let our health be one of them. While last year was a challenging year for many of us we have the opportunity to create a successful 2010 and I encourage you to take the same care with your health and the health of your family as you do with everything else in your life. Take time to discuss health with your significant other, your family, children, and your children’s friends and with your co-workers. Take as much care and planning with your health as you do the education of your children or your retirement plan. If you do, you may find you’ll have to contribute more to your retirement as you may add years to your life.
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