How to go from good to great

Ever wondered if some people were real?

I grew up reading Shakespeare. And I sometimes wonder if the guy was real, if he was just one guy and if he was like me. He was beyond good; he was great. He's probably the only guy in history that you have to quote word for word; there's nothing to edit.

And then there are the music legends, the sports legends and the business geniuses. They were not just good at what they did, they were all great. 

After reading through many biographies and other books, I think I have found what took everyone of them from good to great -- Practice.

image: collegenetwork.com

Ever wondered why Usain Bolt still has a coach? This guy is the fastest man in the world, and even in the world records. He's regarded as the fastest man ever. Then he's paying someone to teach him how to run. (I need that BBM smiley for confused).

The truth is that the coach is simply his practice analyzer. He helps him stay on track with his practice schedules.

Practice is what turns ordinary men to good, and then to great. The problem is that most of us stop at good. Once our driving is good, we stop taking driving lessons. Once our singing is good enough to guarantee a spot in the church choir, we stop practicing hard. Once our boss can't find a replacement for us in the company, we stop our aggressive learning. Once we are married, we stop trying to impress our spouse. Once our friends are constantly complimenting that skill we worked hard to get, we stop working hard at it.

And that's what separate us from the legends, the great ones. They kept practicing hard. They didn't stop at being good, they kept beating their yesterday's best. And that's the way they all went from good to great. They never stopped practicing.

I hope this will inspire you to never stop practicing hard at what you are good at.