To become a masterful practitioner at anything, performers must train themselves to find delight in the most uncomfortable things. High performers and top athletes put the most work into the hardest things. They know that the more tolerance and pleasure they can muster for embracing the most difficult practice, the larger their zone of competence will become.
In whatever you do, the first question to ask and answer is: What is the hardest thing I do?
Any task or activity with the lowest success rate usually suggests the answer. Pushing yourself to explore this task or routine is never comfortable because it represents imperfection and limitation. That alone confirms you have landed on the hardest thing.
Making significant progress on this task or action requires a ladder of practice. The first step is to break down this activity or routine into smaller, bite-sized tasks. Practicing the whole can come later, but for now, improved performance requires a focus on a slice or piece of the task.
Practicing this sub-task of the hard thing involves doing it repetitively with some degree of success. Repetition is central. Doing the hard, small thing over and over will increase success over time.
As competence increases, the goal then becomes success with more precision. Once precision has been achieved, then the goal becomes faster speed or reaction time. Doing something hard with precision and speed reflects true mastery.
Over time, what was nearly impossible yesterday becomes a normal challenge today. At that point, it is time to find another slice of the hard thing to master. Soon, and without any mindful notice, you will be quickly stringing together the bite-sized tasks into a fluid whole. The more progress you have made on each part, the more you will enhance the overall performance that relies on the hard thing.
No matter what the endeavor or performance, working on the hardest thing in this way will elevate success and increase competence. The road to mastery is littered with hard things.
Pick the hardest one and set your sights on making real progress. Mastery is never strictly a function of genius or talent. Rather, it is a function of the time and practice we apply to the hardest things.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
