Getting Better at Soccer. It's The SAME as Business.

This is going to be what I think is an interesting read. It is introspective into my life as a coach, which few here probably know, but it is a big part of my day-to-day (outside of business).

I certainly was not born to be a coach, and I did not even want to coach when I started out. But it has been a bit of a revelation to me and has offered me a new perspective on many of the smaller nuances in life and how we develop and get better as humans.

In fact, I have learned something big from the sports world, something I wish I had known at an early age. I would not say my parents were not great supporters, because they were very supportive. But I was never taught some basic principles that I feel could have helped me a lot.

(1) Practice more than your competition.

Most kids go to practice, and that is it. Then the parents expect their kid to somehow compete at a higher level. If every single kid in the world practiced the same amount, the natural athletes would rise to the surface.

That is not the reality, though.

A good athlete and more practice will win against any natural athlete who practices the same as everyone else any day of the week. So if you have natural abilities, or you do not, it does not matter if you are willing to practice more than others.

As an aside, I play soccer with my 8‑year‑old every night for 15 minutes; I did this with my now 11‑year‑old as well. I am not a soccer alumnus; I just realized that kids who had a feel for the ball, knew how to pass, and could react quickly to a pass were better.

Through the course of one year, we did probably 200 touches on the soccer ball per night, so 75,000 single touches more than any other 8‑year‑old per year. Simple math, and it seems nominal on a nightly basis, but this adds up. Imagine next year trying to tell a kid that in order to catch up, they need to perform 75,000 single touches.

It's not happening.

Practice outside of practice. That is, practice more than the others around you, and you will see greater results from your skill advancements. The exact same logic goes for business: those who work harder are more skilled and achieve more success.

(2) Practice the right things.

You can practice things that don't work all day, and then you master things that “don't work” well. Sounds comical, and it is.

So practice different things, fail at some, succeed at others. Then, when you find what succeeds, do that a lot. We often spend too much time on things that are not “success oriented.” You have to practice the skills that you need to perfect in order to be successful at the outcome you are after.

For example, if you are running a YouTube channel, you have to focus on the things that matter to your success. Create videos like the ones you have noticed getting the best results, and do not waste your time on videos that are not getting results. But you have to try new things and find out what works and what does not.

Then get better at the things that are leading to successes. That also optimizes your time and productivity.

(3) Practice like you want to play.

If you are lazy when you practice, you will be lazy when it is showtime. You see those goofing around in practice who tend to perform poorly in the game. It is because their practice habits directly transfer.

Do not procrastinate. Do not skip steps just so you can pretend in your brand you have created more efficiency.

If you want to play with the experts and play hard when it matters, you have to take this approach at all times to your game or business. That is what will lead to the big payoff.

A high achiever in sports is not any different than a high achiever in business. It comes down to practice, but not the team practices that everyone else is doing. It comes down to the practices that only you participate in—the extra effort.

These are the things I have learned. I’m not saying they are all perfect, but I think they all offer unique insights into success at absolutely anything.