If you have bad habits in your practice, then your mastery will be the bad habits. That is common sense, right? But so many of us (me included) practice the wrong things. Take for example the skill of perfecting the rear naked choke demonstrated by Matt Hughes. I could have picked from many of examples in life, but purposely choose something that not many people know how to do as this example. If your technique is wrong, then you will be practice bad habits. It might be harder to unlearn the bad habits than learning the right way initially.

2 tactical steps to better practice (there are many more than two).

Be curious. It is important to know that you do not know everything (how could we know everything in life). Even if you have practiced a skill for years, true mastery is done thorough being curious to what is new, what is different that allows me to learn today. Being OK with saying I do not know is key to new learning.

See through new eyes. Go beyond the way you have always done it to see new ways. Sometimes you cannot see the bad habits yourself so you have to engage the help of others (coaches, consultants, mentors) to help you see what you cannot see. Said differently, others can help you see things that you are blind to. From here you are able to see yourself in ways that you were not able to see before.

Be intentional in your practice and practice as much as you can if you truly want to master a skill or sport.

Learn more about Gene Hammett here.

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I do miss him terribly. He passed away almost exactly six years ago today. And with this being father’s day on Sunday, I felt compelled to express my gratitude for him. My Dad showed me how to be a man. He taught me to stand up for what I know is right and to work hard at everything I do.

I am lucky to have had the last few weeks of his life to connect with him in real conversations. I can replay some of those in my head almost word for word. Even though he was taken from us early (at age of 62), I am glad that I had the time for him to work with me, travel with me and explore some of the greatest moments of my life. I love him so very much.

I really want to express the greatest gift that he gave me in life. That is one of love. He expressed is love for me in so many ways and that has lead me to be best Dad I can be for my son. It makes me want to play with him every day. My Dad gave me this gift and I want to give it to my family to an even higher degree. My Dad was a great person and it makes me want to be even more. For this, I want to publicly express my gratitude for him.

I want to THANK YOU Dad for being a person of character, integrity and humor.

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It might be obvious to many of you that there is a connect between communication and results. But for those that do not see it right away, let’s build that connection. Taking “action” on a project or task leads to results. Actions are preceded by “commitments”. And commitments are defined in “communication”. This is a simple view of how communicating commitments shape actions that lead to results.

An example would be delegating a task to a team member or employee that you expect to be done. It might go like this “Can you update your status report for me?” This is a common request in the business world, right? But does this example express the level of commitment by the listener. Also is it completely clear on the “results” of this request such as conditions of satisfaction or request time. If there is any breakdown between the steps between communication, commitment, actions and results, then the speaker in this example is unlikely to get the results they want. This example is simple and yet it allows us to see that the more clear the communication, the more likely that the desired results will be achieved.

This is a really BIG topic and my intention is not to solve the communication issue in this post, but to share with you the link to better results in our professional and personal lives is better communication. I am working on this all the time at work and at home, especially with my toddler. In some ways, I feel like I am clearer with my son than anyone else because I do not make any assumptions that he already knows the background and context within the communication. In my professional life, I strive to be clear in the words I use as well as determine how the message lands on the listener to see if there is a “shared commitment” to the desired results.

So if you want better results in your life, one place to start is looking for ways to improve your communication.

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Well, I have been wondering lately if people have the COURAGE to ask the RIGHT questions with the people they talk to all the time. It is not about being nosey, but rather more about being BOLD. But I ask you now if you have this kind of courage in talking with the people you work with, friends, loved ones or even mere acquaintances? You tell me.

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