A typical national-caliber elite ice skater begins her career at age 7. She trains on a daily basis with an exacting and demanding coach, often in the pre-dawn hours before school and then again long after the sun sets. She averages between 5 and 6 hours of practice per day. For the first 2 or so years of her training, she works on no more than 3 or 4 moves, total. She works to exhaustion, every practice, and toils on the precise, minute details that constitute greatness at her craft. At approximate age 10, she advances to an even more advanced regimen, often boosting daily practice to a total of 7 to 8 hours or more. She adds complex spins and twists and jumps to her repertoire, and spends an average of 18 months working on each, single, adaptation or move. By the age of 14, after half a lifetime of fanatical devotion, she is ready for international competition at its highest level. Her level of dedication is off the chart, far beyond the comprehension of any normal recreational athlete.
If an ice skater can devote this much time, focus, effort and energy toward achieving excellence, is there any reason why any aspiring athlete should ever complain about practicing for 2 or 3 hours, total, during a given week? If an ice skater can practice 50 hours each week, because it is a requirement for success in her field of endeavor, why can't every athlete commit to just 5% of her weekly commitment, or a paltry 2.5 hours?
If the athlete is unwilling or unable, because of higher priority commitments, to invest this minimal time in order to improve, then he forever forfeits any right to complain or lament how "unfair" life is or how he was "denied a shot at glory" or how "a coach held me back." Become as ruthless as the skater, and leave mediocrity behind. If you care about being the best you can be, excuses such as "it takes too much time," "I don't feel like it," and "it's too boring" do not exist. Be as dedicated as a skater, and become great.
If an ice skater can devote this much time, focus, effort and energy toward achieving excellence, is there any reason why any aspiring athlete should ever complain about practicing for 2 or 3 hours, total, during a given week? If an ice skater can practice 50 hours each week, because it is a requirement for success in her field of endeavor, why can't every athlete commit to just 5% of her weekly commitment, or a paltry 2.5 hours?
If the athlete is unwilling or unable, because of higher priority commitments, to invest this minimal time in order to improve, then he forever forfeits any right to complain or lament how "unfair" life is or how he was "denied a shot at glory" or how "a coach held me back." Become as ruthless as the skater, and leave mediocrity behind. If you care about being the best you can be, excuses such as "it takes too much time," "I don't feel like it," and "it's too boring" do not exist. Be as dedicated as a skater, and become great.
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