14 Apr How to get better and almost anything…even happiness!
I've always said and I believe the research strongly supportst the notion that…although genetics and circumstances and a range of other factors play a role, the key determinant of happiness and success is consistent effort and perseverance; practicing the right things, consistently, day in and day out.
I've seen this simple formula behind every happy and successful person I've ever met and/or read about.
And the reason I like it? Because it means we can all, with this daily diligence, enjoy more happiness and success in life!
Consistent with this, Syms Wyeth writes in Inc.com about "deliberate practice"…
What is it that makes a speaker amazing? Is it a set of personal characteristics that enable great speakers to capture and keep our attention? Is it their brains? Their sense of humor? Their sincerity and empathy? Or were they born with a talent to talk?
We could ask similar questions about golfers, tennis champs, chess masters, or quarterbacks. Why is it that certain people get a disproportionate share of the talent? Science has something to say about this.
In fact, there are some researchers who say, discreetly, that the very existence of talent is not supported by evidence .
If this is true, our belief in this "thing we call talent" misdirects our efforts and undermines our potential to develop ourselves and others.
In fact, some scientists point to a more accurate view of how top performers in any field achieve their remarkable results. They call it Deliberate Practice.
In his book Talent Is Overrated, Geoff Colvin lays out the elements of Deliberate Practice (DP).
DP is meant to improve performance.
It is engineered to address particular weaknesses that the performer has. It is almost always designed and implemented by a teacher, coach, or expert of some kind.
DP consists of endless repetition and excruciating boredom.
Most of us practice what we're good at because it feels good, and we do it until we get tired.
Top performers practice what they're bad at, even though it's frustrating and humiliating, and they do it to the point of mental and physical exhaustion. They go until they break down old habits, and have to develop new ones.
DP provides continuous feedback.
Every swing of the club, every passage in the concerto, every word in the speech, every marketing tactic undertaken, is assessed, measured, compared, and diagnosed for improvement…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE and don't forget that although Wyeth doesn't specifically refer to happiness the basic principles of his article are very relevant.