Want Success? Master the Squat.
Athletes of all capacity realize the squat is a fundamental movement for staying strong and flexible, but it takes practice and patience to do it right.
Many people find the diligence required of a squat surprising because for all appearances the squat is something we’ve all been doing since childhood. Bend your knees, put your butt near the ground and you’re squatting. Explode upward to stand back up and boom! You’re a squat master.
Not so fast.
As we age, we squat less. The lack of repetition makes it uncomfortable. As muscles weaken and girths grow, it becomes even more difficult and eventually we give it up. Soon, we realize that an activity as simple and natural as squatting requires effort and attention. It also requires patience.
More than a squat.
How long do you think it takes to learn such a simple, innately natural movement?
One athlete revealed that learning to do an honest, ass-to-the-grass squat took two years! Why so long? Because to do a squat, you must get your house in order – perfect the movement, build strength, and improve your overall health. Accomplishing these things in a healthy, sustainable way, requires time.
Let’s be clear. The true challenge of mastering the squat isn’t the squat itself. It’s your perception of time, desire, and measurable goals.
What’s Your Squat?
From social media alerts, to 24-hour news to advertisements promising quick results for whatever you crave – we live in a world that values instant gratification. It turns out that as a society we are out of practice with anything that demands patience.
Paradoxically, look at who we admire. Accomplished athletes. Powerhouse entrepreneurs. Visionaries. Artists.
We admire those who have leveled up to “amazing” in their respective field thinking it came directly from some magical talent bestowed upon them. The truth is they worked their asses off and believe in the process. Tony Hawk didn’t just throw down a 900 one day. Steven Spielberg wasn’t born knowing how to produce films, and 2018 Olympians Chloe Kim and David Wise didn’t earn gold on raw talent – it took patience and work.
Greatness comes from patience, determination, and repetitious practice in the common and mundane.
It’s no different in business. Collectively, we are unpracticed in the exercise of patience. We start our careers and immediately want leadership status and prestige thinking we can deliver results while forgetting that our careers and life are the opportune time to learn and should consistently be in a state of flow.
Lifelong Training
Just like athletes, if you want to grow personally or professionally you must be persevere with time and effort. Squats require a trim physique and strength or else you risk injury. Successful companies require correct infrastructure, balanced cash flow, and marketing capability or you run the risk of betraying your customers and injuring or breaking your brand.
Anders Ericsson, a Swedish psychologist and researcher in the psychological nature of expertise and human performance, is a pioneer in the field of what he calls “deliberate practice.” Deliberate practice is the concept of working towards a specific goal all the time. In doing so, you learn patience and trust in the process and embrace repetition. Ultimately, through deliberate practice, you will discover that grit, drive and long-term strategy are far greater drivers toward value than instant gratification.
Walk this path and then you too, will you get to taste the victory of flexing your muscles, moving nimbly, claiming your success while bearing heavy weight on your shoulders. You too, can master the squat!
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