Every champion has a routine of practice that yields high performance. This is one of the easiest skills to develop, but also one of the hardest ones to sustain. Every single person I have coached intuitively knows they need to practice and develop various technical skills. I have detected that the greatest area of difficulty often lies in ‘people skills’ or psychological skills oriented around performance. Why is that? Life is dynamic, we are not machines, and we are bombarded with distractions and uncertainties that disrupt practice. One disruption often creates a cascade of obstacles that interfere with people ‘getting back on track’ and resuming routines of high performance development. These come in the form of illness, job loss, starting or ending a relationship, parenting issues, financial problems, family difficulties, death of a loved one, and changes in friendships. The list goes on. They also don’t need to be adverse events, and can be events like getting married, moving, or getting a promotion. Here are a couple of simple strategies that help people double-down on deliberate practice:

 

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Early Morning/ Pre-Work Exercise/ Meditate/ Journal New Learning Exercise/ Meditate/ Journal Exercise/ Meditate/ Journal Exercise/ Meditate/ Journal Mid AM Focused Work Meetings Focused Work Meetings Focused Work Late AM Meetings Focused Work Meetings Focused Work Lunch MeetUp Early Afternoon Focused Work Exercise Focused Work Creative Time Focused Work Late Afternoon Creative Time Focused Work Self Care New Learning Self Care

 

1. Identify the skill you wish you to further develop.

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2. Identify the specific means through which you will develop it (taking a class, reading a book, listening to a podcast, doing research, etc.).

 

3. Put your practice on your calendar with a reminder so you are accountable to showup for your practice.

 

4. Assess your progress after three weeks.

 

Early in my career, when I was starting my professional practice, I had no understanding of how to develop a professional network. I had the good fortune of someone recommending Keith Ferrazzi’s bestseller Never Eat Alone, and then through additional serendipity I joined a course he developed and began learning how to implement a systematic proven method to expand my network in an authentic and purposeful manner. My practice continued for many years, and week after week I would meet with people over coffee, drinks, lunches, and dinners and that evolved into invitations for professional presentations locally and nationally. More importantly it created enduring professional relationships. I used a CRM app to track my progress, keep notes, and stay focused. It was an incredibly successful effort, but also one akin to the tale of the tortoise and the hare. This was one of many experiences of deliberate practice that contributed to my version of success.

 

The Exercise:

1. What do you need to practice for your well-being?

2. What do you need to practice to improve your professional role?

3. How often are you practicing now?

4. How can you change or improve your practice so it is personalized and effective?