TO BE THE BEST, GO PRACTISE IN YOUR ROOM FIRST

Anytime I watch good football like Manchester United’s brilliant display this week at the English Premier League, I see so many lessons that we can learn.

First, think of all the people who would want to be in that winning team but could not make it because they did not have the required level of skill. It is not that they were bad. They were just not good enough.

There will always be room at the top for the best. A lot of people settle for mediocrity because frankly speaking, it is easier. It is easier to be good at something than to be the best. Differentiation by excellence is inevitable if you want to stand out and this is done by consistent practice and self-development.

You need to practice when no one sees. Diligence in obscurity always leads to prominence. The hidden part of your life is responsible for the visible part. The part of your life that is not seen is what drives the part that is seen. Your private habits become your public reputation.

You therefore need to be able to practice and prepare for an opportunity that does not exist yet. Prepare for opportunities that no one else can see so that when the opportunity arises, you are ready.
Some people have dreams, but are not preparing for the fulfilment of their dreams. So they are caught unawares by their own dreams.

Greatness is the default destination of people who exert themselves preparing for things that no one else can see. If you cannot prepare for the visions in your head, you will not move beyond the reality in your hand.

A beauty queen was once asked how she won every pageant that she contested in. She said that she had watched videos of beauty queens from around the world thousands of times and practiced in her room for years, what they did. She revealed when she got to the pageant, she simply did what she had done thousands of times in her room.

The only difference was that this time she had an audience. When the opportunity came, she only did in public what she had perfected in private.

Long before anyone ever called me to speak anywhere, I would stand in front of a mirror and speak. We had a chapel at home, and so I would stand in front and imagine myself speaking to people. I would go to the farm and speak to the goats and the chickens. I did this for years before any human being ever heard me speak before large audiences.

My practice ground had been in obscurity. My family would be amused. Today, I speak in different nations in front of thousands of people every week. I am having the last laugh.

Practice is your way of declaring that you believe that your dreams will come to pass. You need to be ready because if you are not, when the opportunity comes there will be no time to prepare. That will be the time for delivery.

David practiced in obscurity by protecting his sheep against an attack from a lion and a bear when no one was watching. It was preparation for Goliath and ultimately for ruling the nation and defending his people.

While some people are interested in the minimum level of input, greatness is reserved for those with the maximum input.

Think of an iceberg. The greatest part is the unseen part. Think of crude oil. The hardest part is the refining process. No gift comes refined. Practice is the refinery of champions.

The players that took Man U to victory were each exceptional in their own rights. That leads to something else.

Winning does not happen because of one single kick. While it is true that one final kick produces the goal, it is the end result of consistent passing of the ball from one player to another.

Meanwhile, the other team is working desperately to stop this passing and take control of the ball. You have to remain focused and consistent in a very hostile environment. This is the story of life.

So many obstacles are working to keep you down, such as your past experiences, mind-set and attitudes. Feelings of unworthiness, of inadequacy and inferiority added to the mix mess up potentially great people big time.

Friends, if anyone deserves to succeed, you do. Remember that for all those working hard to keep you down, you have people who are also working hard to ensure that you win. They are your team - people who share the same dream as you and who believe in you.

Always remember that you cannot do it alone. You need a team, a network. You also need a great coach – someone whose past is your future, whose experience is your expectation.
Have a fulfilled week

NATION