Secrets of greatness: Practice and hard work bring success

Peter Fuller MBA CA
A thought provoking article, Secrets of greatness: Practice and hard work bring success on what it takes to be great, and it turns out it has nothing to do with god given talent.

If you are thinking about starting your own business or just want to get better at your job the key is to practice, practice, practice.

Identify the skill sets that you will need, obtain the necessary training and then be prepared to do some serious practice.

And not just any type of practice, but “deliberate” practice. The kind of practice that involves setting objectives just beyond your reach. Your activity requires feedback and tons of repetition.

And while most may think of this in terms of such activities as sports it actually can be applied to your business or job.

Instead, it’s all about how you do what you’re already doing – you create the practice in your work, which requires a few critical changes. The first is going at any task with a new goal: Instead of merely trying to get it done, you aim to get better at it.

Report writing involves finding information, analyzing it and presenting it – each an improvable skill. Chairing a board meeting requires understanding the company’s strategy in the deepest way, forming a coherent view of coming market changes and setting a tone for the discussion. Anything that anyone does at work, from the most basic task to the most exalted, is an improvable skill.

Great article, now go read it.

Peter Fuller MBA CA
905-566-1927

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This entry was posted on March 12, 2010, 10:57 pm and is filed under Random Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

#1 by Johneal Rouse on August 19, 2010 - 9:18 pm

Great post and interesting article, Peter. There certainly is no substitute for focus, deliberate practice and hard work to achieving the heights we are each capable of achieving. Off course having a natural inclination, talent and a love for what you do is a helpful starting point on the journey!
Thanks for sharing,
Johneal
Johneal Rouse´s last blog ..7 Ideas to Unlearn – Letting Go of Priced Beliefs

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#2 by Lesly on July 2, 2010 - 4:03 pm

That was an interesting article and I liked the last sentence “Maybe we can't expect most people to achieve greatness. It's just too demanding. But the striking, liberating news is that greatness isn't reserved for a preordained few. It is available to you and to “… we are all great in our own ways .. super!everyone.

#3 by Beverly Monical on June 23, 2010 - 9:12 pm

You do need to practice but you also need to brand yourself.Using video is the BEST way too.I use Talk Fusion because it uses video better than any tool I’ve seen.
Beverly Monical´s last blog ..Can You Change Your Brand Online?

#4 by Oliver Tausend on June 21, 2010 - 11:27 am

Hi Peter,
thanks for sharing this amazing article. Success in every area of life requires patience, hard work and dedication. Keep up your great work.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend´s last blog ..Behaviour in Facebook groups

#5 by Bill Cowan on June 20, 2010 - 6:12 pm

I agree! Practice does make perfect. There’s nothing that I’m going to pick up for the first time and be a natural at it. I love golf, but to be good I need to practice, That goes with my business as well. Thanks.
Bill Cowan´s last blog ..Turbo Fire is Here

#6 by Peter Fuller on June 17, 2010 - 8:28 pm

Good stuff Tommy, I am rereading Think and Grow Rich too

#7 by Steve Shoemaker on June 17, 2010 - 7:24 pm

Tommy I love this article it’s funny I am rereading think and grow rich and the chapter I’m in is specialized knowledge.
What I mean is as we improve on something we eventually become the specialist. Once we do that we can move on and improve somewhere else. If you consistently do this you can’t help but succeed.

Steve Shoemaker
Steve Shoemaker´s last blog ..Now GROW Your Internet MLM Business

#8 by Peter Fuller on June 16, 2010 - 10:48 pm

Hey Linda, good for your daughter. I remember my basketball coach forcing us to dribble and shoot layups with our left hand endlessly. I hated it, why shoot left when shooting right was so easy. Then one game I stole the ball and the opposing player was chasing me hard on my right side. No choice but to go left all the way and I nailed it. My coach was right

#9 by Linda G. Cox on June 16, 2010 - 10:38 pm

Yes Peter! Just like my daughter playing basketball~ same concept, learn then practice, practice, practice! (I’m thinking of her because we just talked to two coaches that want her for next year! oh, what will she decide )
Linda G. Cox´s last blog ..Five Grammatical Errors That Make You Look Dumb

#10 by ~ Bravo on June 14, 2010 - 7:16 pm

great stuff Peter.
It’s very true that like any role in which you plan to position yourself as an “expert” you must continually practice and hone your craft … what ever it may be.

Authority will come from the fact that you put in the time to learn and master what others were unwilling to do. Stardom then comes by sharing that expertise with those that need the information and guidance.

It’s a beautiful formula for entrepreneurial spirits. It’s simple and elegant but difficult enough it is efficient at sorting the tire kickers in the field.

Keep rocking it man … you’re gonna go far!

~richard
.
.
~ Bravo´s last blog ..Cash Flow 101 and the Velocity of Freedom

#11 by Tommy DiPietro on June 14, 2010 - 7:50 am

Peter,

I believe in this. Practice does make perfect. I am studying copywriting and every time I write an article I practice this skills and I know it will get easier to do as I continue to write more and practice.

Thanks for sharing.
Have a great day!

Tommy D.
Tommy DiPietro´s last blog ..The Secrets I Learned Watching A Green Ogre Named Shrek to Balance Your Family and Your MLM Business

#12 by Marcus Baker on June 11, 2010 - 7:40 pm

Hi Peter,

I like the idea of deliberate practice as opposed to just being “busy”. Reflection, evaluation and change is an important part of the process to help us get better.

~Marcus
Marcus Baker´s last blog ..How To Personally Sponsor Over 200 Reps in Five Months | MLM Tips

#13 by Peter Fuller on June 11, 2010 - 11:08 am

Hey Jerome. thanks for visiting.

I agree people struggle with it, they want to hit a home run with their first at bat and walk away when they don’t.

#14 by Jerome Ratliff on June 11, 2010 - 10:41 am

This all comes down to repetition. The more we do anything, over and over again, the better off we will be.

This is the part that people struggle with.

Have a great weekend,
Jerome Ratliff
Jerome Ratliff´s last blog ..Shut up and Show Me the Results – Network Marketer’s Biggest Mistake

#15 by Peter Fuller on June 9, 2010 - 2:50 pm

Thanks for all of the comments.

The key is that everything you do is improvable.

I like Ilka’s idea “Practice does make better”

Just take a look at all of the great internet marketers out there. Were they born with their knowledge? Were they successful with their first online venture?

The answer is “no”.

They tried something, got it wrong, analyzed the results, tried again and kept at it until they got the results they wanted.

#16 by Ilka Flood on June 9, 2010 - 2:30 pm

While I do agree that it takes practice, I can’t agree with Tommy saying “practice makes perfect.” Yes, I’ve heard that a lot of times. Even my own mother told me on occasion.

However, practice doesn’t make perfect.There’s no such thing as perfection as I had to find out the hard way. But…Practice does make better!

Have an awesome day!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker
Ilka Flood´s last blog ..Not Ready to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone?

#17 by Sherman Smith on June 4, 2010 - 5:51 pm

I totally agree with you on this. It takes practice even if you have the talent. You always want to become better. I great book that talks about why some people reach success while others don’t would be Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers”. I look forward to more of your posts
Sherman Smith´s last blog ..A Great Application To Expose Your Blog

#18 by Kimberly Castleberry on June 1, 2010 - 4:38 am

I definitely agree with the idea of intentional practice. We cant put our future in the hands of just “letting it happen”. All of us are self made – but only the successful will usually admit that. Whether we make our failure or make our success, if we dont plan to succeed we plan to fail.
Kimberly

PS: Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Kimberly Castleberry´s last blog ..Don’t Miss Digg’s Plans to Facilitate Viral Content!

#19 by Tommy DiPietro on May 19, 2010 - 10:06 pm

I agree, “Practice Makes Perfect”

When I started my business I always felt overwhelmed with everything I did. I just stuck with the blogs, articles, videos and now it all seems so natural.

Have a good one,
Tommy D.
Tommy DiPietro´s last blog ..How To Create Attractive Articles Just Like MTV’s The Jersey Shore