Speaking of Reps
I've spent the past week trying to clean up the messes caused by my recent neck injury and cognitive issues. Needless to say, I dropped a lot of balls along the way. It feels overwhelming trying to figure out what balls were dropped and what obligations were broken. It feels messy and embarrassing, to say the least.
I noticed something interesting, though. Despite whiffing on so many things, I somehow kept my 1,100+ days writing streak alive. Even though my brain felt totally broken, I still managed to write, (semi) edit, and publish articles every day during that miserable stretch.
I recently read back through my writing from that period. Wild, as I don't remember much about any of that. It's also fascinating to read the thoughts that came out of my significantly impaired mellon. In some ways, it felt like me, but in other ways, I might as well have been reading the words of a stranger.
Immediately after getting back on my proverbial feet, I wrote a piece titled "Reps Matter." In it, I talked about the power of simply giving ourselves reps in life. Reps allow us the margin to grow in our craft. It's the gateway that takes us from doing something terribly to eventually doing it excellently.
As I reread the words that came out of my impaired mind over the first 10 days of this month, I couldn't help but smile at how giving myself so many reps (1,100 articles in 1,100 days) prepared me to produce content even when I was at my worst. It's wild how that happened!
This isn't about me, though. Rather, this is my way of offering an extra dose of encouragement today. Whatever the discipline is you're seeking to grow in, just give yourself reps. Reps, reps, and more reps. You'll eventually hit your ceiling, whether that be "sufficient," "skilled," or "world class." To some degree, the only thing stopping you is you. Therefore, each of us must decide whether we're willing to get out of our own way and give it the reps it deserves.
I don't know what this is in your unique world, but I have a feeling you do. Get those reps!
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