Practice is part of that.

Many of us don’t practice because we figure “why bother?”  That type of mentality says, it’s not the practice that matters it’s luck, or natural skill or some other random variable.  While those things are important, they don’t replace practice.

Just look at the NFL or the NBA.

Usually the top athletes are the ones known for spending hours in the gym.  Especially when everyone else has gone home.  That’s dedication.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from reading an e-book by Chris Guillebeau, author of the blog, The Art of Nonconformity.  In that book he said that as a writer his minimum goal is to write 1000 words per day.   If he doesn’t hit that number he doesn’t feel like it was a good day.

That got me thinking – I fancy myself a writer, what should my writing patterns look like?

Frankly they weren’t up to snuff. I might write 500 words every other day.  But a thousand a day? Nowhere close. Since then I decided to make changes.  If I wanted to improve as a writer I needed to practice.  And practice meant writing more.  Now I make sure to write close to that thousand word mark. I don’t always get there.   And I’m okay with that.  It’s not the number I care about, it’s the attitude.  But between Meaning to Work and a blog I write around living a life of faith, along with several other writing projects, I come very close to that number every day.  That’s a huge improvement.   That’s something measurable.

And you know what? It has helped.   My writing has improved.  My productivity has improved.  And unexpectedly, my confidence in my writing ability has improved.

Practice may never make perfect. But it makes things a lot better.

photo provided by flickr user laffy4k

Over the years the meaning of work has changed.  In a highly agrarian society you simply had to farm.  You farmed or you starved.  You just didn’t have much choice.  The Industrial Age moved people from the country to the cities, but most people became human cogs in a growing machine.  Our jobs didn’t provide much excitement, difference, or satisfaction.  Why would they?  We were just part of the machine.

But we now live in a unique time in human history.  We live in a time when we can actually choose work that we are passionate about.  If you want to feed the homeless you can work for dozens of organizations.  If you love numbers you can be a banker, an accountant, or a statistician.  If you love sports you can become a professional athlete or a trainer.  You can even choose to be a farmer or a factory worker.

There are so many options because the meaning of work has changed over the years.  We no longer have to be stuck in a job that doesn’t mean anything to you.  Maybe its time you took advantage of that and found something you are passionate about.

photo provided by Library of Congress

Yet for every amazing talent you find, you see dozens, if not hundreds (or thousands) trying to tear that person down.  In the example above we see an 8 year old playing guitar.  Being a tad older than 8 myself I am in awe.  My musical talent topped out somewhere around the Kazoo.  How could I hope to play something like that?  Yet he’s criticized for his rhythm, technique, song, look, and choice of music.  And he’s not alone.  This 7 year old guitarist receives the same treatment.

Why?

What is it about human nature that causes people to try and tear down success?

It’s no different in business.  For every success you have, there will be someone trying to tear you down.  The question isn’t how you are going to stop it (you can’t).  Or what you should do about it (maybe there’s nothing you can do).  But how are you going to chose to respond?  Are you going to keep working to innovate?  To bring meaning to work?  Or are you going to listen to the “haters” and fall back to being average?

You may not be able to stop them.  But you control your own response.

photo provided by flickr