Last month, I initiated a blog series designed to help entrepreneurs by drawing the many similarities between success in business and success in sports.  This first article described the most foundational attributes possessed by virtually every elite athlete and entrepreneur—desire, commitment, proactivity, humility, practice, and discipline. 

In today’s article, I’d like to elaborate upon critical components of the Practice Routines that separate virtually every superior athletic and business performer from the mediocre masses.  Not only do the best of the best participate in practice, they unconditionally commit to practicing, correctly.  They make their practice a habit, a habit that they love.  Superior Performers (SPs) understand that their level of success is directly proportional to active participation in correct practice, so they indelibly embed every session into their calendars.  Practice sessions are non-movable and non-negotiable, and consume their full attention and focus.  SPs do not allow distractions or excuses to prevent them from faithfully executing their practice routines.  They are more likely to miss brushing their teeth, than to miss practice. 

SPs place an enormous value on practice and rarely feel like they can get enough of it.  Stories of superior athletes who were always the first to show up for practice, and the last to leave are legion.  SPs are always seeking ways to practice more and to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of each one of their sessions.   Conversely, mediocre performers are often satisfied to simply show up (or not), check the box, and “get it over with…”.   Rather than focusing, learning, committing to new behaviors, and executing, weaker performers will often arrive late, leave early, allow interruptions such as phone calls or texts, and insert other distractions.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of their sessions, Winners (and those committed to becoming Winners) will always insist upon a core set essential ingredients to ensure that the time they invest in practice will yield maximum return, results, and rewards.  These include…: 

Excellent Trainers who will share the best-of-the-best processes, techniques, methodologies and mindsets.

Superior Coaches will help the SP assess their performance, identify strengths & weaknesses, develop new insights, and make necessary adjustments.  A great coach will also help the SP continually set new, loftier goals, push to stretch higher and higher, and hold the SP accountable for reaching these new stretch goals. 

A Powerful Community of Peers who understand that we are all better, stronger, and smarter together, than any single one of us.

A Small Elite Group of Practice Partners – Every great performer will seek out and surround themself with a carefully selected, highly committed group of like-minded peers.  This select group consists of individuals who all live in a similar movie and are willing to share their knowledge, wisdom, best practices, and more.   Each member of this group is willing to invest the time and energy to understand each other’s stories, context, vision, and goals.  SPs understand that they don’t know what they don’t know, and that an elite group of committed SP peers can not only serve to help each other develop new insights and inject accountability but will also call BS or dispense tough love when necessary if they notice that one of the group members is “dogging it” or “just going through the motions”.    

For all Superior Performers, this group may well be the single most important ingredient to ensuring continuous growth and improved performance.  

The good news about all of this is that ANYONE can do it.  You may not have the physical attributes necessary to dunk a basketball or hit a 600-foot home run, but everyone can dramatically improve their (business or athletic) results and blow away their competition by modelling the behaviors of superior athletes and entrepreneurs.

Self-discipline is simply doing the easy things that most are not willing to do.

If you don’t follow a similar practice routine, I’d encourage you to start today.  You will be glad you did. 

Copyright © Joe Zente 2022. All Rights Reserved.