Call me insane, but Albert was no Einstein
If you’re over the age of 25, you’ve learned a key truth:
Life isn’t simple.
It’s insanely simple.
It’s just hard for us to keep it that way.
Seems like every day we’re introduced to something newer and shinier. Something that will save us even MORE time. Something that will help us lose even MORE weight.
Something that will help us make even MORE money while working LESS.
So why do we constantly complain there isn’t enough time in the day?
Why do we see our waistline continually expanding?
Why are we scrounging through couch cushions because we’re always short on cash?
Because you’re being lied to, that’s why.
There are no quick fixes.
There are no magic pills.
Wanna know a secret?
The basics. Performed properly. Over and over again.
THAT’S the short cut we’re all desperate to find.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” — Albert Einstein
He’s wrong, you know.
I would argue it’s the exact opposite. The ONLY way to get different results IS to do things over and over again. Let me give you a few examples:
Current situation: You’re a young basketball player and you can’t shoot a left-handed layup.
What to do: Work on your left-handed layups — over and over and over again.
The result: You’re now more successful at shooting left-handed layups.
The lesson: By doing the same thing over and over again, you not only expected a different result, but you got one.
Current situation: You’re a knowledge worker who sits at a desk all day and you want to become fit. Problem is, you’ve never been into that “exercise thing.”
What to do: You finally decide to lace up your sneakers and start moving your feet. Just a little, for starters. Then you do it again the next day, just a little bit farther. You start to like what you see in the mirror and then you do it again and again and again.
The result: You feel healthier. You feel stronger. Your breathing is crisper, your mind is clearer, and you have more energy.
The lesson: By doing the same thing over and over again, you not only expected a different result, but you got one.
Current situation: You’re a veteran school teacher who loves to be in front of the class. You now need to learn how to instruct online.
What to do: You start talking to other teachers. You start watching tutorials. You start doing it by yourself and then you review the recordings. You start doing it for family and friends and ask for their feedback.
The result: You’re getting pretty good at this thing. In fact, you’re getting really good. You start showing others how to do it.
The lesson: By doing the same thing over and over again, you not only expected a different result, but you got one.
The basics. Performed properly. Over and over again.
THAT’S the short cut we’re all desperate to find.
“I don’t make sacrifices. I make decisions.” — Kobe Bryant
He’s right, you know.
If you are curious about an activity, you learn more about it. When you learn more about it, you have a choice to make: Do I pursue this or move on to another discipline? If you find out it’s for you and you can’t get enough of it, you begin to see it in an entirely different light.
The fact that you’re in the gym working on your game is NOT a sacrifice — you’ve chosen to be there. Your friends sunning themselves at the pool or lying in bed watching
YouTube videos might think it’s a sacrifice, but it really isn’t.
Instead, it’s your vehicle for who you want to become. You’ve chosen to enhance your fitness, your concentration, and your skill level through a certain activity.
You’ve decided to BECOME through doing.
Here’s my favorite Kobe story:
A few years back when he was still in his prime, a reporter was watching him work out three hours before that night's game. Kobe was breathing heavily and was drenched in sweat.
Reporter: "Why do you spend two hours every day doing fundamental drills over and over again? You are the best player in the world."
Kobe: "Why do you think I'm the best player in the world?"
As you continue to evolve in your career, never lose sight of what got you there.
The basics. Performed properly. Over and over again.
THAT’S the short cut we’re all desperate to find.
“We’re going back to the basics.” — Every coach, during every press conference, after being whipped by an opponent
They’re wrong, you know.
Don’t do it.
Never, ever go BACK to the basics.
It’s much more effective to keep them in FRONT of you at all times.
We never rise ABOVE the fundamentals. We just get better at them. We learn to do them faster. They become ingrained in our lives.
Here’s what I told a parent the other day: “The job of a coach is to make your child uncomfortable until she’s comfortable. Then we find a way to make her uncomfortable again.”
Doesn’t all of life work that way?
You start a new job — That’s uncomfortable. Learn the basics of your position, then perform the basics of your position. Do it faster and better. Pretty soon you’re feeling pretty comfortable and others are asking you for help. At least until it’s time to get uncomfortable again.
You leave for college — That’s uncomfortable. Learn the basics of dorm life, how to study, and how to remain current with assignments. You start sharing what you’ve learned with the new friends you’ve made on campus. You’re feeling pretty comfortable until the next semester, when feeling uncomfortable starts all over again.
There’s another quote from Kobe I share all the time: “Before you become unstoppable, you have to be predictable.”
Most of us hear the word “predictable” and we roll our eyes. Blah. Meh. Boring. Not for me.
Predictable is a WONDERFUL thing. It means you can be trusted.
“I’ll pick you up at 9.” You’ll be there at 9.
“I make 90 percent of my free throws. We want you on the line at the end of the game.
“We need this order by the end of the week.” We know you’ll meet our deadline.
Conversely, who should we steer clear from on the athletic fields, in the board room and in relationships? Those who are UNPREDICTABLE.
They KNOW what to do. They just don’t do it all the time.
So, what skill are you looking to enhance? How can you become more predictable on your team, in the workplace or in the classroom? Never forget these eight words.
The basics. Performed properly. Over and over again.
Insanity, Mr. Einstein?
Or an insanely simple way of getting better?
Try it for yourself. Then let’s talk again in a month.
(Tim Kolodziej is the creator of EnspireU.com and author of this piece. You can email him here.)