After the Super Bowl, I heard many football fans and
analysts talk about the natural-born talent of Patrick Mahomes. While many of
the top-rated quarterbacks are talented, fans often overlook the hidden factors
that make the players successful. The fan only sees the final product, not what
goes into making the person so successful.
I once watched a video of Tom Brady practicing in the off-season.
His favorite phrase was “run it again.” Brady was persistent: He would continue
to practice a play until it was perfect. He realized that fractions of a second
might determine the difference between a touchdown and an interception.
Extraordinarily successful people also make great sacrifices
to hone their craft. In the case of great athletes, they do not truly have an
off-season. They are constantly working year-round to correct their weaknesses
and continue to enhance their strengths.
Also, high achievers are persistent. While they have
disappointments like the rest of us, they bounce back. Last year, Mahomes faced
the disappointment of losing in the AFC Championship. He learned from that
failure and this year delivered a different result.
Some people make it look so easy that you think it comes
naturally to them. Just remember that these people have sacrificed, learned
from failure, and overcome disappointments.
Resilience is key, but how do we teach this? How do we create an environment where resilience and practice and dedication is rewarded and encouraged? It's almost impossible to talk to students about "honing a skill" when they don't care about the skill - only the grade. The number of students we teach and the pace of the curriculum doesn't allow for this much, if at all.
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