Diamond Minds

PASSION: Inside & Out

By Barry Farber

Do you remember your dreams? Sometimes it helps to write down the dream as soon as you awake otherwise the details seem to evaporate later on. This one was interesting so I wrote down most of what I remembered and then researched the rest in the books I was quoting and referencing to make sure I didn’t leave anything out.

Here was my dream… the other night I was presenting to a group of people on what it takes to make someone great. During the presentation I was talking about baseball and how constant practice builds the confidence to step up to the plate and perform. It was a metaphor for any profession where the depth of your skill and knowledge becomes great when you immerse yourself into the techniques at a whole new level. I used the late great baseball legend Ted Williams as an example. In the book, The Science of Hitting, he shares a story of how he would practice when he was young. “I don’t think you can emphasize enough the importance of practice. When I say practice, I mean with a bat. In the spring that means hitting pepper, or down at the iron mike machine getting some extra licks, or just swinging a bat. As a kid I was always swinging a bat, an old Bill Terry model, pretending I was in the Polo grounds, two outs, two strikes, two on, “here’s the pitch… bow!” Another tremendous imaginary home run. Even as I get older, I’d have a bat handy all the time, a heavy bat to swing during the winter, something to fool around with under the coconut trees on the Florida Keys.”

It’s this behavior that engrained his techniques into his mind so when he went to the plate his muscle memory would take over. This type of passion, vision and training fascinates me because of the way it not only hones your skill but also creates confidence and a relaxed approach when tested under pressure.

In my dream I was demonstrating a method called “physiological memory.”

I did this by showing how many movements it takes your fingers to button up your shirt. I tried it slowly and counted each individual movement with both hands which came out to nine moves.

Do your fingers have memory from repeating movements over and over? So much so that you do not think of them each time you do it. They flow as one movement. Yes, there are many methods that go into making someone great in their profession, but I have to agree with Ted that having a passion for practice and continuous improvement is omnipotent.

Here are some thoughts on the actions you could take to improve your performance at the plate.

• What mentors can you reach out to who know more than you and have accomplished the goals you’re setting out to achieve?

• What are you reading about your passion or profession that can increase your knowledge and overall understanding of your craft?

• How much hands-on experience and practical application do you have? Are you putting everything you’re learning to the test?

The key is being able to replicate your actions so they become so ingrained that they become part of you.

Barry Farber

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

—Aristotle

Barry Farber is a best-selling author, an award winning radio and television host as well as an agent and marketing consultant for corporations, professional athletes, and entertainers. He’s also the creator and marketer of the FoldzFlat® Pens. His latest release is an inspirational children’s book “In search of the magic tree” available at www.barryfarber.com

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