Tennis, Writing, and Atomic Habits
On November 12, 2012, James Clear posted his first online article. On October 16, 2018, he released his first full length book, Atomic Habits.
This is an awesome book that became a New York Times Bestseller within a week of it's release. Check it out!
46 of 49 of 52 on 22
Today marks my 46th “Optimal Day” post. Last year, inspired by and following the example of James Clear, I started a writing habit. A habit that began with my first post that was submitted on November 22, 2017. Before I started the habit of writing, I had a few writing experiments and projects but no real direction or plan. Knowing that the best path to becoming a better writer was to consistently produce content, I made the decision to write on a schedule. The initial goal was to nurture my writing habit by posting one piece of writing per week every Thursday, no matter how good or bad.
So how did I do? Well, there were a lot of Friday posts, a few Saturday and Sunday posts, and three weeks with no post at all. Frequently unsatisfied with my product, I felt the need to postpone my deadline from time to time. Even so, I ultimately produced a lot of content and only missed three weeks. So at this current rate, in three weeks on November 22, I will have posted #49 of my 52 projected writings. I've been focusing on quantity over quality. Over time, I can work on developing fundamentals, but I know I have to keep it simple and put in the repetitions. For me, that's the key.
Tennis Development and Writing Development
After nearly 20 years of coaching tennis, it’s easy to see a logical progression in skill development. I enjoy seeing junior high players begin to understand the basics of the game and start developing their game. They progress from beginner to high school junior varsity where they begin putting together better series of points, refining their fundamentals, and working on the mental game. At the varsity level, they become even more skilled and knowledgeable of the game and refining the nuances that are a result of time and experience. It starts to become clear who has been putting in meaningful reps and who has just been playing for fun. Those players who enjoy and have improved can continue even further playing at the college level or on a club team. The progression from beginner to proficient or expert is pretty straight forward. Focus on the process and put in the reps.
This progression applies to all skill development. For me, the habit of writing on a schedule has given me a lot of practice I would have missed out on if I had simply waited for inspiration. This writing habit has helped me build momentum to keep me moving toward my goal of consistent content creation. I'm coming to the close of my first year of serious writing practice, and I hope is that my skill level is comparable to a second year tennis player. I may not be ready for high school junior varsity yet, but give me some time. I just need more reps and time on the court learning the game and working on the fundamentals. I’ve got time, and I plan to get there.
What is Your Tennis? What is Your Writing?
So tell me, what is something you would like to begin? What is a skill you would like to develop that may take years to acquire? It’s never too late to start putting in the necessary reps. The path to proficiency begins with a humble, awkward beginnings. Stumbling and bumbling into the unknown. It’s a natural progression. It's junior high tennis. It's my first year of blogging. Think back to your humble beginning in any area where you are now competent and skilled. The trick is to simply start. Show up and keep showing up. Begin before you’re ready and attack your goals with a growth mindset. Pick up a racket and start swinging. Grab a pencil and start writing. Make some progress and have fun in the process.
Enjoy the day!
