Practice.
We all remember that viral press conference when Allen Iverson, then highest scorer in the NBA, was asked to make comment on rumors that he had been missing practice. I’ll never forget his response. He leaned into the mic and said, “I’m supposed to be the franchise player and we in here talking about practice, I mean we talking about practice…practice…not a game, we talking about practice”.
To be one of the best to ever do it, you have to have an intimate relationship with practice. It’s interesting that we understand this concept when we’re talking about a skill like basketball, but ignore it when it comes to something more personal like our characters. The power of repetition works just as well with helping us strengthen those areas of our character that often go under developed.
So here’s a challenge for you. Pick a character trait and run it through this sequence:
Experience - Take the character trait you want to perfect and participate in an activity where you get to display it.
Reflect - Take a moment to think about how you feel while displaying that trait.
Generalize - Set out on a learning journey. Find as many books, podcasts, sermons, etc. that share information on growing and perfecting that character trait.
Apply - Look for additional opportunities to try out your newly developed character trait.
Give this a try and share your experiences in the comments. I’d love to hear how it goes.
#CarryEverything