called to greatness. Why do we do this? Because it’s easy.
To push ourselves past what others expect, beyond what is
normal, is difficult and sometimes awkward. But it is a
necessary part of the process.
What does it take to develop the habits that lead to
excellence? How do we not just answer our callings but
master them? There are three requirements for deliberate
practice, according to Ericsson and his team of researchers.
First, the practice requires a context: time and energy from
the individual as well as trainers, teaching materials, and
facilities in which to train.^14
Second, the activity must not be “inherently motivating.”
It has to be something you wouldn’t naturally enjoy
doing.^15 Think of it this way: if the practice is enjoyable,
then you aren’t growing. Muscle grows through strain and
stress that create tiny tears in the muscle fiber and cause it to
expand. Skills and knowledge are developed the same way.
This is why so few people engage in the process of painful
practice. It’s hard. But, as Tom Hanks says in A League of
Their Own, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard,
everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”^16
Third, the activity cannot be done a very long time
without leading to exhaustion. You must take yourself
beyond what you think is possible, to the utter limits of your
ability. If you aren’t pushing yourself to the point of sheer
exhaustion, you’re not trying hard enough.^17
Now contrast this paradigm of practice with my regular