Little by Little.
Athletes are constantly looking at where their performance is currently and where they would like it to be. Many times athletes are able to point to what they need to do better at and what skills they need to improve in order to reach that next level of performance. That's the easy part.., but the real challenge comes in the process of making those changes and doing the work. And what makes that so difficult is really two things. First, our expectation to see bounds and leaps with our performance and second, our idea that if we aren’t making bounds and leaps we aren’t getting any better and that there is no progress being made on our performance goals and dreams. These two thoughts cause great harm to the well being of our athletes because it paints the picture as only being black or white… as either making these great monumental strides in our abilities and performance or not.
As you can imagine, most athletes experience that second feeling far more often than the first one. What do you think that does for their confidence, motivation, and overall mental well-being? This all or nothing idea when it comes to skill and performance progression is something that many athletes struggle with, especially younger athletes who might be looking around at their peers who may be making bounds and leaps.
What's important here is that athletes learn that little by little a little becomes a lot. It’s not really bounds and leaps that get you where you want to go.. Sure take them when they come, but the reality is that consistent growth, no matter how small or insignificant you feel it might be, yields the best results in the long run. The biggest key to experiencing that consistent growth is to look at every performance, practice, workout or game, as an opportunity to learn, grow and improve regardless of how you perform in that moment.
The best way to help you do that is to ask yourself one simple question at the end of each day: What did I get better at today and how did I do it?
On good days that is an easy question for athletes to answer. On hard days athletes struggle with that one. Exceptional, high performing athletes and people have a legitimate answer to that question each and every day. Not because they necessarily made bounds and leaps that day, but rather that they understand that little by little a little becomes a lot.