Physical repetition of an action does not nec-
essarily improve it. Certainly it does not assure perfection.
You may only be teaching yourself how to do' it wrong.
Remember the story about the new employee
at the sawmill. The foreman had just instructed him in the
use of a large, powerful electric saw. As the foreman turned
away, he heard the new employee yell, "Ouch!"
When the foreman rushed back to see what had
happened, the new employee explained, "All I did was
just put my hand over here... well, I'll be damned-
there goes another one!"
Mere physical repetition does not assure per-
fection-or even improvement. You must first learn the
proper form. Then practice peljection in your imagination
by consciously impressing into your subconscious mind
mental pictures of your performing each action perfectly.
Only then are you ready to physically practice and get the
physical "feel" of what you have mentally practiced.
That's how the pros do it, that's how the experts
do it-in every sport and, in fact, in all situations which
require practice to develop proficiency such as public
speaking, selling, meeting people, and just about every
situation you can imagine.
One of the most distinguished, poised and
charming women of our time says that she never enters a
room full of people without first stopping to practice in her
imagination how she will greet each person with friendly
confidence, poise and charm.
If practicing in imagination is the proven way
to perfection-why don't YOU do it, too?