You know what’s fascinating to me? The consistency and accuracy of a world-class performer.Since i was young, i’ve been captivated by things Derek Jeter swinging a baseball bat. Or virtuoso musicians - like this guy.Being considered “world-class” at anything requires consistent, effortless precision.
These folks are able to perform at this level because they’ve spent hours and hours and hours (a bare minimum of 10,000 to be exact) reminding their body how to perform this task flawlessly.This process has a name: Muscle Memory.In the same way that Olympians and performers train themselves for the big moment, i believe we can train ourselves to be "world-class at life".It seems that building a life worth living - one you can be proud of when you’re 70 years old - isn’t made with spreadsheets and roadmaps, but by creating intentional habits that prepare you for the moments that count.
The training ground
Having a goal doesn’t put you in action any more than knowing someone’s address teleports you to their front door. No - there must be frequent, correct steps taken to arrive at the destination.When/how we arrive at the destination comes down to the decisions we make and disciplines we create every day.Most studies agree that adult humans make approximately 35,000 decisions per day. The vast majority of those are inconsequential in nature - it doesn’t really matter what flavor popsicle we choose, or what side of the street we walk on.But some decision we make every day have a collectively large impact. These are the small disciplines that create “muscle memory" for life - consistently choosing to do even the smallest of things the right way.The small examples i think of are picking up trash off the street and putting it in the trash can. Or finishing a job that seems really trivial and could be left for the next person to do….but you choose to finish it even though it’s annoying.These things seem inconsequential…but they may be training your mind to either cut corners or finish the job in a big moment.
A small example i’m working on...
I’ve realized i have to be more intentional with my time if i want to grow personally.It seems that a lot of great leaders - those who truly have too many things on their plate and are tempted by every distraction possible - keep a calendar to guide their everyday decisions and priorities. So after some encouragement from a friend (a great leader in his own right)…i’m gunna try it.Starting this week i’ll be scheduling time for work, writing, reading, consuming, and personal growth. That way i stop realizing at 4pm that i just wasted 3 hours of my Monday.This endevour with not come without frustration. But hopefully, building this Muscle Memory will translate to meaningful change:
- Focusing more and weeding out waste
- Being more purposeful with people I spend time with
- Having less stress (because i know i’ve already built in time for everything important)
Here’s the challenge
Think about what decisions you could make to start building muscle memory for a Big, World-Class Life.What could help you become more disciplined, create margin for growth, and increase your positive influence on those in front of you?
