Your path to greatness
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Introduction
There is an old saying “practice makes perfect.” Although there is truth in that saying, one must practice effectively and consistently to perfect a skill or talent. You can practice extensively, but if it’s ineffective and inconsistent, it won’t achieve the desired results.
Our Turks and Carifta Team recently participated in the 52nd Carifta Games that was held in Trinidad and Tobago. According to a press release, the team set national records and achieved personal bests. Congrats to the team.
I do not intend to criticize the team; however, we really need to ask ourselves if our national record is considered too low? Did we practice enough? The fact that we did not win a medal has prompted me to write this article. Of course, practicing effectively and consistently does not only apply to sports but in music and in our everyday life, such as leadership, communication, relationships, and our emotional intelligence.
Practice effectively and consistently
Achieving success and greatness requires consistent practice and perseverance. If you practice repeatedly without seeing improvement, something is wrong. You are not doing something right. Be effective in whatever you do. Identify your weaknesses and work on them until they become strengths. Don’t take your strengths for granted either. If you excel in an area but are still underperforming, keep practicing effectively and consistently until you exceed that performance. Do not set your standards too low. Set them high and practice until you achieve them. Think of setting your standards as setting goals.
If you do not know how to practice, then get help such as a coach or a trainer. There are individuals out there who are expertise in different areas. Although this might necessitate some investment and sacrifice, it is ultimately worthwhile.
Some of you may not need a coach or trainer. If you are disciplined enough, you can probably do it yourself. I practice repeatedly whenever I have a task, especially for speaking. By the time I reach the podium, I no longer need the papers because I’ve perfected them.
Another effective way to practice is to practice with someone, someone that will encourage you, motivate you and provide you with constructive feedback.
When practicing, take your time and make sure you understand what you are doing. For example, if you are memorizing something for an exam but you don’t understand what it is, you are memorizing then you can still fail because the questions on the exam may be worded differently from what you expected. However, if you understand and memorize at the same time, it can lead to success.
Conclusion
Your journey to greatness hinges on repetition and consistency. I remembered when I was preparing to take the CPA exam in 1992. I prepared for exams several hours a day. My first employer, Coopers & Lybrand, funded my six-week intensive course in Atlanta. During this course, it was basically repetition and reviewing previous exams. In the evenings I would do the same and you know what, it paid off. I successfully passed all four parts of the exam in one sitting.