August 27th, 2021
Whether we are talking about martial arts classes, study habits, starting a club or school, or work, you will always succeed at a higher level if you develop the habit of giving your best effort. Nobody achieves greatness by being lazy or giving a half-hearted effort. If you study champions’ training in any sport and or business, you will see them putting in hours of dedicated practice and giving their best effort to get better. The best use state management to help them succeed at an extraordinary level. I call it energetic determination—the ability to put your focus on one thing and stick with it until you achieve maximum success.
When you give your best effort and consistently push to exceed your previous best, you will get better, and you will improve. With time and training, you will excel. When you push yourself to your current best and then strive for 10% improvement or better, you will constantly raise the bar on your personal best. The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is one word, “extra”!
You will take yourself to new levels of excellence if you decide in advance to give extra effort and exceptional service. The opposite is also true: if you get in the habit of giving a minimal effort and accept less than your best, this can also become a habit. If you are not careful, before you know it, your minimum will become your maximum. Ultimately, your life will become ordinary or even less. For peak performers and champions, this a place they avoid like the plague.
Look at everything you do, on and off the mat, think about how you can give your best effort and do it better. What could you do differently today to take it to a whole new level? Ask yourself, “How can I be exceptional today?” What can you do to pick up the pace to improve your skills and conditioning in the training hall? At work or school, what could you do to exceed expected and provide extraordinary service? At work, can you arrive a little earlier, stay later, improve your effort and increase your overall contribution? At home, could you help more with chores and or take the initiative to improve things?
Remember, Habits we Train are Habits we Gain!