“All the world’s a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed”
Sean O’Casey
Practice makes perfect. This is true not only on stage and in sports, but also in sales, surgery and every field where humans excel. The great ones understand the work that goes on behind the scenes. For every minute Michael Jordan spent on the court, he spent an hour in the gym or training room preparing his body for the work to come. Add another hour or so on the practice court, honing his skills and shots. No wonder he made it look so easy.
Practice can also occur without leaving home- even sitting still with your eyes closed in your lazy-boy. Visualization is a mental dress rehearsal where you picture yourself going through the process or activity, all the way to your desired and optimal goal. You then play the tape over and over in your head- a sort of active goal oriented meditation. It actually works, and translates into improved performance at showtime, when the real-life situation presents itself.
I have done this for many years and believe it has helped me succeed in a variety of circumstances. For me, it actually started in the late 1950’s with my backyard basketball court. My dad, Alfred (amazingly ahead of the times in many ways), had me practice shooting baskets at first without the ball then with the ball-both times picturing the exact arc that the ball would follow into the basket, as if it were contained in a long curved tube… swoosh! Picture it happening, and then let it happen. 20 years later I heard sports psychologists describe the same type of “visualization” techniques. As an avid tennis player, I was also re-introduced to the concept when I read the classic The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey. It really struck a cord with me, about the role of mental preparation and rehearsal in achieving success. He has similar books for both golf and skiing, both of which have helped many.
So practice can take on many forms and all are helpful. The best surgeons takes courses that simulate what they need to do technically. They also think things through, in detail, including possible complications, each and every time before entering the OR. Top sales people do sales training and are prepared for anything. Athletes and actors- we know they practice and rehearse. Legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, who has worked with, and created more top players than anyone, says “no one becomes a successful player without paying the price in practice”. Harry Hopman’s tennis advice applies to all of us, no matter what your racquet is- “the practice court should be used more to practice weaknesses than strengths”. So, as they say, practice, practice, practice.
FitTip
Follow Virginia Wade’s advice: “spend more time preparing and less time regretting”
Follow Dr. Nick!
