Commitment, Consistency, and Competency

“Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good.” -- Malcolm Gladwell

Have you ever made a decision to learn to do something new? Maybe you wanted to learn to play the piano, or the guitar, or the drums, or one of the many instruments available to all of us who were destined to be the "Fifth Beatle". By the way, my sincere appreciation goes out to all those parents who raised aspiring musicians. If it wasn't the constant boom of the drums, it was the ear-splitting squeals that every would-be Jimi Hendrix just had to produce. In my case, it was the rearranged dishes and cabinets full of knick-knacks that came alive to the heavy vibrations of a bass guitar and amp combo -- that strangely had only one volume setting -- 10! So, maybe this wasn't the best example -- but it sure was fun!

The point is, that at some point, all of us have resolved to learn something new -- and most likely totally underestimated the time and practice it would take to become as proficient as we visualized ourselves to be. Now, I'm not here to dredge up painful memories of an ill-fated venture, because I also know we've all found at least some degree of success in several areas. I'm just trying to shed a little truth on the principles of commitment, consistency and competency.

If we think about it, these three principles are at work in every worthwhile endeavor we ever dare to attempt. Without them, in part or as a whole, all of our best intentions to do something, know something, or be something fall miserably short. In other words, we eventually and often bitterly, quit. A few weeks ago I heard Chris Brady say something to the effect of, "you will be tempted to quit every good thing you ever do." This really stuck with me. We think our quitting is the result of discovering that something isn't good or worth pursuing -- at least I thought that way. That is, until I did an honest appraisal of just a few of the good things I flat-out quit. Why did I do it?

As I look back, it is clear that I lacked a firm commitment that was tied to a bigger dream or want. Without it, my commitment had no root. From this point it is really the domino-effect that takes over. Lack of commitment crushes any hope of consistency, which in turn squeezes out even the smallest bit of competency. So what is left over? Nothing has really changed, other than gathering up a little fresh regret -- at least for a while. Sound familiar?

Thomas Jefferson said: "If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done.” Perhaps the thing we've never really done is honestly walk the commitment-consistency-competency path. It stands to reason that consistent practice produces a good result. Ideally, that result is competency or mastery in a particular area or discipline. But again, without commitment the foundation collapses. How do we gain commitment? By changing the way we think about ourselves, what we know, what we don't know, and more importantly, what we're capable of doing. We may also need to change our surroundings, including what and who we allow to influence us.

Find the dream that will help you make the commitment -- to consistently practice whatever needs to be mastered -- to gain the true level of competence -- that will change your life and rock your world.

Your comments are always welcome.