Be Prepared To Pay The Price
Excellence comes at a cost. In my years as a teenage swimmer I learned about the effects of deliberate practice and the possibilities to tap into my own potential to a depth that I would never have thought possible. Johnny Weismueller is remembered for two accomplishments: First for playing the legendary Tarzan figure on screen as an actor and second for being the first human to swim the 100m freestyle in less than 60 seconds. At the time the 60 seconds mark was an incredible feat to accomplish. These days anyone can break the minute mark. We know what it takes and we know how to train for it. Nevertheless, only few people actually break the minute mark. The reason is that only few people are willing to pay the price (approximately 2-4 years of deliberate swim training as a grown up). Let's face it: (Luckily) there is no shortcut to excellence - no cheating yourself to brilliance and mastery. You have to be prepared to pay a price in time, sweat and blood to really excel in any field. So if you plan to acquire ninja-like skills, ask yourself first: What are you willing to sacrifice?
Here's my tips what you ought to be willing to sacrifice in order to excel:
1. Sleepy Early, Wakey Early
Waking up early to have some time for things you value highly is a great way to progress. It takes not only discipline, but rather conviction. The bargain could work like this: In order to read/exercise/draw/etc. more, you'll sacrifice some late hours and gain some early hours. Late hours are not the most productive anyways, so the benefit should easily outweigh the loss.
2. Daily Do
I call this the principle of marginal progress. Steady small steps will render better results over time than sporadic but excessive sessions. Stimulating your brain by indulging into a specific activity as a habit will have a significantly stronger impact on your development than sporadic but long activities. Habits are the living proof of your identity. What you do on a high frequency basis, e.g. daily or every two/three days, will stick with you the strongest and become a larger part of your identity.
3. Be Brutally Consequential
Don't let anyone or anything talk you out of your designated plan. Have the confidence to push through times of doubt and distress. Don't let yourself be discouraged by a lack of results. The blues will come at some point. Remember you're on a marathon. Success is inevitable, but you cannot force it. Execution is key, so keep going. Be brutal in your consequence and follow it through.
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