Determined Practice: Four Steps

The journey to success requires a level of performance the likes of which dissuade most people, largely because of the time, sacrifice, and effort it takes to begin to see results.

Let's be honest, the journey to success requires certain things of us; determination, tenacity, and fortitude among them. Each of these aspects lends credence to our ability to perform. If we are determined to be the best, that performance has to be superior in order to set us apart from everyone else.

Superior performance requires determination, consistency, and hard work. In other words, it's not so much about what we are born with inasmuch as it is our resolve to do whatever it takes to achieve something. It is not an endeavor for the weak-minded, faint of heart, or impatient.

The development of the skills and habits of superior performance requires sacrifice, struggle, determination, and an honest self-assessment of what it is we truly desire in life. There are no shortcuts.

Your journey to success and superior performance will ask a lot of you, most often with grueling requirements that are beyond your current levels of expertise, stamina, or competency. Don't allow this to dissuade or frustrate you though because it is through determined practice that we learn and grow.

Success requires a sustained level of superior performance that requires practice...consistent, determined practice. This practice is not merely a repetitive practice, because let's face it, if your fundamental skills are inadequate and you consistently practice them, your skills will continue to be inadequate.

Determined practice is practice with a purpose. Determined practice is a meticulously structured and highly engaged practice designed to improve performance leading to the kind of success that only the most determined and dedicated ever truly achieve. This is not to say that most are unable to accomplish this level of success. It is to say, however, that most are unwilling.

Determined practice is deliberate and not always fun or enjoyable. Think about what it takes just to maintain an acceptable (not superior) healthy lifestyle - proper nutrition and consistent exercise...not always "fun" by any stretch of the imagination, but absolutely necessary to maintain a healthy balance. Look around you. How many people would you say display the kind of physique that represents a healthy lifestyle choice?

If we focus only on what it takes to achieve, then our state of mind will very often convince us the "work" is not worth the results we seek. However, if we want to acquire the skills of superior performance we must understand the principles of determined practice and learn how to make it a part of our daily lifestyle. We must shift our focus from what it costs to what it pays in terms of the results we seek. In other words, we must be willing to do what most others are not in order to attain something they never will.

I have discovered four steps that will not only propel you onto your objective of achievement but will also shape you into a superior performer - the kind of performer others aspire to but never truly achieve. Follow these steps and you'll begin to see changes take place you could never have imagined. Fair warning: these changes will come frustrating slow at first, but will each serve as an incremental step toward superior performance that will compound with consistency.

Four Steps

1. Motivation: We hear this term used so often that we almost turn a deaf ear when it is used. Despite that, however, it is an absolute essential element. You must be motivated to achieve an objective or, quite frankly, your plan will fail. Spend some time on this step. Take the time to understand your motivations. It is the essential "why" in your quest for achievement. Are you intimately familiar with why you want to achieve your goal? If not, get reacquainted with your motivations before moving on to the next step.

2. Accountability: We can have the best plan on the planet, but unless we're accountable to someone other than ourselves, we tend to find "reasons" (excuses) to stray from the rigid course we should be taking. One of the best sources to be accountable to is a mentor or coach. A mentor can not only hold us accountable but can provide an outside perspective and an unbiased analysis of our performance and progression. A mentor is also an excellent source of expertise if chosen wisely. Even the best among us have mentors or coaches. Who is your mentor or coach?

3. Tenacity: A focused determination is that trait that takes us into a zone of required effort (work) few dare to tread. Tenacity helps us look at a mountain and confidently convinces us with a nod and a wink that says, "We can do this!" It helps us ignore distractions, discomfort, and discontent. Tenacity propels us through temporary pain for permanent gain.

It is the psychological grit that carries us through the sweat and grime that keeps others on the couch, preferring instead to watch their favorite TV program or sportscast while they dream of "someday" or "luck." Finally, tenacity provides the last ounce of energy to follow through and cross the finish line of our plan.
 
4. Patience: It has long been said that patience is a virtue. The virtue of patience allows us to be tolerant of apparent slow progress, setbacks, failures, and learning opportunities. These things are inevitable and will cross the path of your intentions. However, patience allows us to see these things as temporary as we develop the skills it takes to overcome and perform superiorly. Patience imbues a quality that transforms our ability to see things others cannot. It changes us for the better and helps us to become rather than to be frustrated.

Patience pays dividends far beyond superior performance and helps us by revealing opportunities while helping us with timing. The insight and timing changes us physically, psychologically, and spiritually.

You too can have more, achieve more, and become more if you are willing to apply the steps of determined practice to your goals and aspirations. Keep in mind this is not something you try. Rather, it is something you embark upon with determination. So...be determined and get ready to enjoy the rewards of a superior performer!

Until next time...-G-


"In the private sanctuary of one's own conscience lies that spirit, that determination to cast off the old person, and to measure up to the stature of true potential."    
                                   
~ Thomas S. Monson


FEAR Is a Thief is NOW AVAILABLE on Amazon.com. This inspiring book is the first in a self-empowerment series that is written to help people get past fear using five fundamental truths as a basis for understanding and taking action for a better life. Get your copy today at: FEAR Is a Thief/Amazon.

Also be sure to check out: KEY HORIZON, the second novel in the G. Weston spy series. This thriller is receiving rave reviews across the spectrum and has captivated a new following of "spy-fi" readers. 

Get your copy of Westfal's first novel Dream Operative, an #1 Amazon.com Best-Seller!

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Happiness is the Key!

One of the most common traits I see among successful people is a foundation of genuine joy. Oh sure, they’re happy because they’re successful, right? Wrong! They’re successful because they’re happy.

Most people find success by doing something they enjoy. They operate in the lane of their purpose. We all have a purpose in life. Some of us have discovered it while others have yet to do so. Fulfillment of one’s purpose brings true joy to those fortunate enough to have enjoyed the price of success. Notice I didn’t say “paid” the price, because success is a journey that should be enjoyed.  

Life was meant to be enjoyed, savored, and cherished. Laughter itself is contagious and is known to have inherent healing power and mood altering effects. Try it yourself. Next time you’re not feeling so well or find yourself in a less than desirable mood, find a private restroom with a mirror, lock the door behind you and make silly faces in the mirror. I guarantee you’ll laugh. At the very least, you’ll smile at just how ridiculous you look as you attempt to make yourself laugh. You may in fact be thinking at this very moment how ridiculous (and funny) that could actually be. Hopefully the thought of it made you smile. And test me on this – see if you don’t experience a noticeable change in your overall well-being because of it.

 Laughter begets laughter. When you’re around someone who is a joy to be around, you cannot help but smile and feel better. When you’re around laughter, you tend to be drawn to the energy perpetuated by that joy. I know that all too well because I’m married to one of the most genuinely joyous persons I have ever met.

Wanna be successful and make more money? Sounds kind of like a cliché, but if you find joy, you’ll find success. If you haven’t already discovered it, look for your purpose and begin to find things that support that purpose and you’ll begin to discover a newfound joy. Who knows, you may even discover a new career or lifestyle that makes you happier than you ever thought possible.  

True joy produces an attraction energy that brings with it the seeds of opportunity, clarity, peace, and more joy. People resonate with those who are truly happy. They tend to want to be around those who are joyous.

So smile…better yet, smile big enough to make someone else smile!

 

Until next time!

- G -

"Find your purpose and you'll discover true joy."
-G Westfal

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Enjoy the Journey

Enjoy the Journey!

You’ve no doubt heard it many times, but having goals and aspirations is essential to the forward progression of life.  It’s true, because, without knowing where we’re headed, how would we ever know once we’ve arrived?  Or worse yet, how the heck would we even know the path it takes to get there?  Well, today’s blog is not so much about the destination as it is the journey.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard things like, “I hate this job” or “college sucks” from some of the very same people who later attest to how much that job or class meant, in retrospect, in building or shaping the outcome of their present, and most often, improved situation.  Ask most young military recruits who are caught up in the middle of initial basic training and they too will tell you just how "terrible" their situation is.  But ask them to look upon their training after they’ve successfully graduated and they’ll have story after story on how the experience left an indelible change on their lives, and oftentimes, literally transformed them into mature adulthood. 

All too often, we get so caught up in anticipating what’s next that we lose sight of what’s now.  If you think about it, the very things going on around us right now is the result of the actions we put in place to bring us to this moment.  Ignoring it is not only tragic; it robs us of the subtleties that are designed to keep us moving forward in a meaningful way.  In other words, don’t forget to stop and enjoy the journey! 

This blog is a reminder to enjoy the journey, or the now.  There’s so much happening in the journey that we can experience and truly savor.  Our experiences and reactions to the journey literally shape who we are as individuals.  If you have children, you have more than your share of examples right in front of you that serve to drive the point home to its core.  Our children change every single day.  Yet, it’s so easy to get used to the subtle changes taking place right before our very eyes that makes it all too easy to look past…until they do something so funny or spectacular that it gives us pause and reminds us just how perishable the journey is…just how delicate and important the moment is.

If you don’t have children, try something else that’ll serve as a reminder.  Sit and watch a sunset one evening.  As you watch the beauty of the changing colors cast upon the horizon as the sun sets, take note of the amount of time passing before your very eyes.  Here’s a wake-up call – it’s the last sunset you’ll ever see…today!  Tomorrow’s sunset isn’t a guarantee.  If you’re able to grasp that concept, the sun will seem to set so much faster than it normally would if you were to simply allow it to happen without savoring the experience. 

There are so many other things that can serve as a reminder to enjoy the journey.  Don't allow these important things to escape you without an attempt to enjoy them for everything they offer.  Look around on your drive to work instead of thinking about what's on the agenda once you get there.  The agenda and all the expectations of work will be there when you arrive.  Why waste your journey on thoughts that won't change a thing anyway?

Another important part of the journey is to pay attention to what it’s telling you about the direction of your life.  It’s in the journey where we make conscious adjustments to our future.  We base those decisions on the experiences provided to us inside the journey.  If we experience joy and satisfaction, we tend to view that positively and seek to perpetuate more by repeating the decisions it took to bring us to this point.  Conversely, if we tend not to really care too much for our circumstances, we choose to change them so we can enjoy a different journey in the future.  Every journey, however, good or not-so-good, provides insight we can use to make these adjustments.  So, my humble advice is to experience the journey for everything it provides. 

Our journey brings us to places and circumstances for a reason.  The reasons are as wide and varied as each of us are unique.  Suffice it to say, however, that each of our journeys are designed to shape us to become wiser, more aware individuals with the potential to make decisions that continually change the path of our journey.  The direction that journey takes is ultimately up to you alone to control.  I only hope you stop occasionally to enjoy the scenery that surrounds you along the way!

Until next time!

- G -

"Don't get so caught up in what tomorrow will bring that you fail to experience the joys of today."  - G. Westfal - 

If you'd like to receive a notification anytime I publish a new blog (currently about every two weeks), visit my Facebook page: G. Gary Westfal, Author

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