// you’re reading...

Beating the Odds

Practice Lessons from an Apple Watch

Groucho Marx said, “Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.”

We all live in a world of time. Each one of us gets the same 24 hours a day (or the sidereal day of 23 hours, 56 minutes and four seconds). An Apple watch can tell you not only where you are IN those 24 hours, but what you’re doing WITH them.

I learned this while working on my three rings: calories, exercise, and standing up to move around — all of which your watch will monitor.

Those rings remind me of what goes into a productive practice.

First, mornings matter. A late start on my day means I can’t hit my goal of getting up and moving around 12 times. My watch gives me credit for standing up only about every 50 minutes or so. I can never do all 12 at once. I’ve got to repeat what gave me the good start all day long.

Second, a good start means nothing by itself. If I slack off at some point in the day, my watch won’t let me forget. A glance will tell me I’ve missed chances to burn some calories and to collect some of my 30 exercise minutes– chances that will never come back. Slacking off brings to mind the hare in Aesop’s fable taking a rest on the side of the road. You can love Oscar Wilde’s wit, but not this quote of his: “Consistency is the hallmark of the unimaginative.” If success sounds dull, then fall in love with the the dull!

Third, run through the finish line. After a full day of putting in the time and effort, you would hate to miss closing your rings just because you got careless at the end. You may have seen those Olympic skiers or pro football players who celebrated before the finish — and it cost them victory. Those last 15 minutes of practice mean as much as the first 15 — maybe more.

As I write this, I’m working on my lucky 13th straight day of hitting all three rings on my watch. I’ve learned that if I start early, keep at it, finish strong and do this one day at a time, I can do it.

If you do the same with your practice time, you will give yourself a chance to get better at anything.






Discussion

No comments for “Practice Lessons from an Apple Watch”

Post a comment