How Champions Think Ch 5

A pledge or promise to do something.

Persistence in doing something despite difficulties.

A regular routine or pattern.

Achieving above-average results or having superior qualities.

A yearly evaluation of work and achievements.

Exceptional people take their commitments very seriously and strive to honor them despite challenges.

A crucial moment in a career, often marked by a setback or realization, that motivates a renewed commitment.

Focus on a single goal without distractions, often demanding significant time and effort.

Exceptional commitment in sports, often leads to significant improvement and success.

A retiree who dedicates his golden years to improving his golf game despite his age.

Creating a structured plan to improve a skill or achieve a goal, then committing to it.

True commitment involves enjoying every aspect of your work, not just the successes and accolades. It's loving the practice, the challenges, the failures, and the progress.

You have to love what you do even when it's tough, when everything is going wrong, and when you're not making progress. This is the real test of commitment.

Many people love a sport or activity in theory—watching it, reading about it— but dislike the actual act of participating in it, especially in a competitive setting.

True commitment means loving the repetitive, monotonous, and seemingly boring parts of your work, just as much as the exciting parts. It's the foundation for success.

You can learn to love something, even if you initially dislike it, by actively focusing on the aspects you enjoy and minimizing the aspects that cause you discomfort.

Most people don't wake up loving their job every day. It takes effort and willingness to learn to love what you do, even if it involves dealing with challenging aspects.

Loving your work, even when it's difficult, drives you to improve your skills, adapt to challenges, and become better at what you do.

While some are fortunate to love nearly everything they do, most people find aspects of their work enjoyable and others not. The key is to minimize the negative and maximize the positive aspects.

Focusing on the parts of your job you enjoy, even if other aspects are difficult.

Sometimes you have to commit to something you don't like, but you can learn to improve.

It's easier to take breaks than to persist, but breaks can be essential for recharge and avoiding burnout.

Breaking large goals into small steps makes them achievable and builds momentum.

Exceptional people value persistence and view setbacks as learning opportunities.

Divide a big task into smaller, manageable pieces for easier progress and success.

Focus on gradual improvement rather than aiming for immediate perfection. Celebrate small wins.

Most things are learned incrementally, from simple to complex, making the learning process less daunting.

Persistent effort and dedication are crucial for reaching higher levels of skill or ability.

If you put in more effort than someone else, it's harder for them to catch up.

A trigger that initiates a habitual behavior, often subconsciously.

The pleasurable feeling or satisfaction experienced after performing a habitual behavior.

Replacing a bad habit with a good habit by consciously controlling the subconscious response to a cue.

The first step in breaking a bad habit is understanding the triggers that initiate it.

Once you've identified the cue, change your reaction to avoid triggering the bad habit.

Using willpower to force yourself to do things is exhausting and unsustainable. Instead, focus on developing good habits that support your goals.

The subconscious is the part of your mind that controls automatic actions and skills learned through practice. It's essential for performing complex tasks.

Instead of consciously thinking about every step, trust that your subconscious mind will take over after extensive training.

Successful people often have habits that help them achieve their goals.

Habits can also be detrimental if they work against your goals.

Using free will means making conscious decisions to change your habits, not just forcing yourself.

Changing habits requires conscious effort and a focus on changing your subconscious.

Musicians, athletes, and even surgeons rely on their subconscious to execute learned skills effortlessly.

Free will allows you to set goals and consciously decide to develop habits that help you achieve them.

Negative thoughts and doubts can interfere with subconscious mastery of skills, even after extensive training.