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Practice

This tag is associated with 7 posts

How to Get More Out of Practice

The other day I watched a school baseball team practice. With bat in hand, the coach worked with the outfielders, hitting fly balls for them to catch. This was a ritual that goes back well over a century. But something was missing: the effort to get better on every play. Every ball that came off […]

The Choice to Finish

I’m back blogging after a grueling few days of putting the finishing touches on my book, “The Improvement Factor: How Winners Turn Practice into Success.” The book finally got done because I’ve learned the same lesson that I preach in my Winner’s Workshops. You can’t try to do several projects at once. If you do, […]

How Jeremy Lin Did It

There’s no such thing as an overnight sensation. By the time a star has emerged before the public, he has put in thousands of hours of work behind the scenes. It was true in the case of the Beatles, who worked years in a night club in Germany. They honed their craft and by the […]

The Boredom Paradox

When world-class cellist Pablo Casals was 93, someone asked him why he still practiced with such diligence. Casals said, “I think I’m making progress.” Imagine staying fascinated with something for that long! After decades, Casals was interested in getting better! You can use his example to achieve greatness in your field. If you can become […]

Inspiration and Motivation

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.” ~ Bo Bennett Who would have thought that rock bands and coaches are in the same business? But they certainly are. Their job involves creating energy and joy. And inspiring — and managing — emotions. This comes to mind because last night, I was up […]

Beating the Odds

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the most important Super Bowl in history. When Joe Namath and the New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts, they did more than just win the championship. They may have saved the Super Bowl. Back then, the Jets played in the American Football League, which was considered not in […]

Putting Magic Into Practice

There are some drills that are just magic. You wish all drills were, but there are some that do such a good job of building skill that you can’t help but love them. Let me explain what I mean. At our school, one of the basketball coaches wants the players to do a four-foot shooting […]