Yes, we’re talking about practice. Steven Covey years ago coined the term, “Sharpening Your Saw” as a way to remind us to continue to learn, improve, and practice. However, we’ve been too busy and just do what we need to do to keep pace with projects and priorities. Now is a good time to get better. As many of you have noted, grammar “ain’t my gratest strenth”. So, I am “reading” my well-worn, but often neglected copy of, “The Elements of Style” to get good at grammar. I’ve never read the book from cover to cover before. Plus, I am quizzing my kids because sometimes teaching others is the best way for us to learn.
In sports, practice and repetition (done the right way) builds “muscle memory” and helps the player perform better in a game situation. I have hit hundreds of grounders to my kids the past two weeks, and thrown so much batting practice my arm is perpetually sore, but you know what, the kids have gotten a lot better at baseball. They are smoother, more confident, and have fixed any hitting flaws. We would normally be playing in games right now, and this kind of intensive training wouldn’t have happened. (Sure, we prefer to play, but practice is our new normal.)
This is the time to update your social media pages. Polish your resume. Create a new cover letter. Improve your website. Polish a proposal or business plan. Write. Create. Spend time on your hobby. Organize and update your computer and other devices. What do you want to be better at? What are you working on that you haven’t in years? For me, it’s practicing on the drums for two hours a day, how about you? I want to know: leesilber@leesilber.com.
