When we look upon success, we rarely think about the work that went into it.
The Rio Olympics wrapped up over the weekend.
Some of the world’s greatest athletes stole my attention for two weeks, and I’m still catching up on the work I didn’t finish!
I’m a big fan of the Olympics.
Yes, I get wrapped up in the sports and the drama and the medal count. I love hearing the stories of the different athletes, I love screaming at the screen, and I really love when countries win their first medal in the games.
But the number one reason I love watching the Olympics is to see an athlete shine for a moment after a lifetime of work.
The Olympics gives viewers the absolute privilege of watching someone’s life work, if only for a moment.
We don’t see the hours and hours the gymnast worked on her floor routine. We don’t see the days and days the rowers stroked through the water. We don’t see the weekends the volleyball player spend working on his sets and digs.
All we see is the performance.
While the performance is inspiring, it’s not the thing worth noticing.
If you’re striving for greatness like these athletes, then look beyond their performance.
I remember sitting down to watch Simone Biles—the unbelievably talented American gymnast—prepare to do her floor routine. This is where she shines. Like always, I was nervous. I always get nervous when watching the gymnasts.
That’s why I settle in with a glass of wine!
Biles began her routine. Flips, tumbles, and passes. She’s incredible.
But through it all, one skill stood out to me. I don’t know what to call it, but she basically squatted down on one foot. She extended her arms into the air, and straightened her other leg out to the side. Then she spun in a circle.
She did the same on the balance beam.
Whenever she performed this move, it looked like she would almost lose her balance.
“Wow,” I thought, “no matter how many times she’s practiced that exact move, it’s still hard for her to do every time.”
The lesson: the practice is worth every moment.
Simone Biles is the best gymnast in the world.
To the casual couch viewers like me, it was a performance that solidified her spot at the top.
But to her—and every other successful person—the gold represented many moments of practice that went into the performance.
Keep practicing. Then perform.
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Photo: Flickr/Nicholas A. Tonelli
The post Before They Perform, The Greatest Practice appeared first on The Good Men Project.