One of the greatest influences of my life was Coach Baker, a baseball coach that I had at summer camp for several years. After every single game, as we walked off of the field, Coach Baker would say something to me like, “Great slide into second during the fifth inning! Tomorrow at practice, let’s work on some short hops. Good game.”
Simple as that - in a few short sentences, he had both praised my successes and helped me identify areas that were still holding me back. It contained both negative and positive feedback, but most importantly, it was productive feedback.
When I think about those quick assessments Coach Baker gave me long ago, I start thinking about what all of the the mentors from my youth have in common. The truth was shockingly simple: they all helped teach me how to balance analysis and reward.
Looking back, it hasn’t been the teachers who praised me the most that I remember, nor has it been the coaches that yelled the most when I failed. The most influential forces in my life have always been the people that have helped me to find strategies for continual self improvement while being honest about both my strengths and weaknesses. It is those people to whom I owe credit for all of the great things I’ve got in life. The lesson of analysis and reward, for me, really has been the gift that keeps on giving.
As an adult I’ve found that I can apply analysis and reward to any task, no matter how big or small. It guarantees that I’m not too self-congratulating or too self-critical. Instead, I am constantly focused on getting better. After all, life really is a competition, but not always with others. Most of the time, the competition is about waking up every day with the desire to realize more of your potential, to always be moving towards your goals. Every day, I compete with myself to be a better version of me, and the tactic of analysis and reward helps me to do that.
It’s such a basic concept, and yet one that has become the most powerful tool I have to drive my life. When I go through any process, whether it be a project at work, a conversation with a client, or a weekend workout, I always spend at least a few minutes thinking about the highs and lows of the experience. I don’t just beat myself up for the areas where I underperformed and I don’t simply pat myself on the back for the things well done. I try to balance both the analysis and the reward.
I think one of the ways that people hurt themselves (and others) is not seeing the potential that each person has. There is a lot more of it than most people ever see if it is simply encouraged and nurtured.
Posted by: come clean | September 06, 2007 at 07:27 PM