message 9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWW1vpz1ybo

The video is a fun re-enacment of the marshlow test that was conducted by Dr. Walter Mischel at Stanford University in the 60's and 70's. in simple terms the test was conducted to study delayed gratification.

"What Mischel found over years of following test subjects was that children who rang the bell early - in order to eat the one marshmallow - had more behavioral and academic problems growing up, got lower SAT scores and struggled in stressful situations and had limited friendships as adults. In essence, their lack of self-control had life long effects." Patterson, C., & Mischel, W. (1976). Effects of temptation-inhibiting and task-facilitating plans on self-control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

In my experience this inability to struggle a bit now for the longer term good is a very common obstacle to greatness in players as well. Be it the player the parent or the coach so many players move on so quickly from task to task or skill to skill in a search to find the magic fix that will help them win more now. How often do i see lessons on a monday or tuesday that are to fix that low backhand that "caused me to lose on the weekend" or a parent telling the coach to work on the second serve because their child "double faulted the match away".

I see players who are barely able to rally being challenged to play on "real courts" or with "real balls and racquets".

Even though research suggests it takes a normal person thousands of repetitions over weeks to develop a skill i see coaches teaching a new skill every lesson or two.

I feel it is this lack of discipline that leads so many players to subpar development and ultimately limits their long term performance.

good players practice until they can make it, great players practice until they can't not make it"

Do not be in a rush to the next level, the next skill etc. Show the self-control to aoid a "quick fix" mentality. Take a longer term view, be willing to take the time now and put in the thousands of repetitions that will pay off later. There are no quick routes to excellence, be patient, work diligently, get a little better everyday.

This ability to control your urge for the quick fix, to work now for future gain is a characteristic of highly successful people. Be patient and stay focused on your goals, in the long run you will reach your full potential.