My infatuation with getting better started at a young age. I loved playing RPG (role-playing games) video games growing up. Admittedly, I played my fair share of Final Fantasy and other games where the goal was to take down evil. But what I loved most was the leveling up, the always getting better and better.
I knew if I put the time in, my actions would result in me getting stronger or improving my player’s states. There was constant linear progression, never any regression.
Unfortunately, this concept does not hold true in the real world.
Unlike a video game, in real life, you can regress. Time and hard work don’t always lead to getting better; you don’t have just one focus point, you need to eat and sleep and do all those other self-grooming things that allow other people to want to be around you.
The hardest pill to swallow for me was that hard work does not always result in getting better. At this point, images of a coach saying, “practice makes perfect” comes to mind and then some assistant coach chimes in, “perfect practice makes perfect.” And all the kids roll their eyes all at once.
But it’s true. In this case, we will change the work perfect to deliberate. Deliberate practice makes you better. That mean just doing something to do something doesn’t make you any better; fortunately, it doesn’t make you any worse either.
I read a lot of books, but I often find myself just reading to check it off the list. Reading for the sake of reading is not deliberate practice. It makes me feel like I am doing something, but in reality, I would be better off just surfing Facebook and not living behind the idea that I am using my time efficiently.
The key to long-term success and growth is being deliberate in your actions and how you spend your time.
If you want to lose weight, you need to practice mindful eating and learning how to cook deliberately.
If you want to get better at a sport, you need to practice the movements that are required deliberately.
And the examples could flow on and on.
The desire to get better is not enough to get you results. Only through action will you find success.
Through action comes failure and through failure comes learning and through learning comes better deliberate action.
Your Fitness Sherpa
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