Summary
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More than three decades ago Daniel Chambliss initiated a study of Olympic swimmers with the goal of identifying the least common denominators which led to their success. He determined talent does not lead to excellence. Contrary to popular opinion, it never has and never will. Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time, winning 23 gold medals. When Phelps was a teenager, his coach asked whether he would be willing to work out on Sundays. Michael agreed, and his coach just said, we got 52 more workouts in than your competitors because most people take Sundays off. With all things being even, the gold medal generally goes to the person who puts in the most time and effort. The secret is surprisingly simple. Excellence is mundane. Hearing that may be frustrating, but you know it's true. This is actually good news for the average person. The playing field is more level than you think. It's easy to envy the success of others while ignoring the sacrifices which made it possible. So quit envying the outcomes of others and start imitating the input of others. Reverse engineer the people you want to be like. So I'll let you in on a little secret. The more effortless something looks, the more time and effort went into it. When Phil Mickelson was a young golfer, he struggled with his short game. His coach challenged him to make 100 3-foot putts in a row. After many attempts, Phil my 99 in a row before missing the 100th attempt. Most people would have just stopped there. Phil went right back at it until he accomplished the 100 putt challenge. And that's how you win. So Chandler's a study shows excellence requires doing small, ordinary things consistently right. Excellence seems miraculous, but it's actually quite mundane. Excellence is a habit which is repeated, consistently and correctly, over and over again.
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