Deliberate Practice is made up of hard work and planning.
HARD WORK
There is no substitute for the ability to deliberately showing up. Hard work is not always about working hard. Sometimes finding the easiest way to solve a problem can also be a sign of elegant, efficient thinking. Bill Gates has stated, “I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” In the long run, however, that engineer won’t fully develop their talents, wrestle with complexity, and innovate on the tough problems. That requires a more serious application of effort.
There is a time in our careers when we think; I’m going to do what I do better than anyone else. As we mature our thinking shifts to; I’m going to do what I do to the best of my ability. Some people interpret that statement as accepting 3rd place. Competing against one’s self is a sign of maturity. We learn later in our lives that we only have control over ourselves.
As we gain depth in our craft—whatever that is—we learn to critique and evaluate our work. We read up on the topic, take classes to advance our knowledge, and connect with others doing something similar. Sometimes we mentor and teach novices, seeing through their eyes, further deepening our understanding of the skill, context, and ability to improvise. We view our craft from multiple perspectives.
PRACTICE
Choose an aspect of your craft and study it thoroughly.
Make a list of issues in your life that need some hard work.
Choose one area and establish a plan to develop excellence.
Who will you contact?
What will you read?
What will you do?
COMMIT
[ ] I commit to myself a lifestyle of hard work so that I can reach my fullest potential.
PLANNING
Hard work, when unfocused, can lead us astray. Showing up to practice is one thing, but how much time to we invest in preparing for an effective practice? Planning is a key component of hard work.
Hard work + Planning = Deliberate Practice
The University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari and Seattle Seahawks football coach Pete Carrol are accomplished and respected coaches that have achieved impressive results. Both cite former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden as a primary career mentor. Coach Wooden meticulously planned every aspect of his teams’ practice. He calculated drills to the minute. Every element of their sessions is choreographed, including where the practice balls were placed. Coaches do not want any time lost by players running to a misplaced equipment bin.
Practices start and end on time. If practice does not end on time, players start to hold back a little effort and save their energy. Coaches want their players to try their best throughout practice, so they become sticklers for time management. If we carefully orchestrate our practice, we work harder and get more done in less time.
If we are to rise in our Craft, we need to work hard, but we also need to be deliberate about the time we are putting in. Planning places effort where effort is most needed. People who combine these two ideas have a firm foundation of deliberate practice upon which they can move toward success.
Make a list of the activities you do each week.
Estimate the time spent on each activity.
Does the time spent reflect the amount of time you’d like to spend?
Do you start and end on time?
What changes do you need to make to better manage your time and become more deliberate in your practice?
COMMIT
[ ] I commit to myself to establishing and maintaining a time of reflection.
Alongside technical skills, people who can master a range of subjective skills are better able to influence, deal with ambiguity, bounce back from setbacks, think creatively, and manage themselves successfully in their pursuit of mastery. Learn more about applying craft skills in the modern world.