Warmup Then Perform

As I think about professionals, most warm up before they perform. From professional golfers or basketball players to concert pianist or opera singers. All eyes globally are upon Paris and the Summer Olympics. Each time I watch an event, the athletes warm then perform. I’ve yet to ever see someone performing on a professional level go straight to their task. Not in soccer, not in baseball, not once have I seen this happen. Yet, for some peculiar reason, I think it’s possible for me.

I’ve repeatedly performed without warming up. I’ve picked up the phone for sales calls, given presentations, or offered in person or virtual consultations without warming up. As I was thinking about this while writing, the thought occurred that I’m not performing professionally. Nothing I’ve done in my career has been broadcast on television, recorded and edited for publication on the radio or in print. Not one single thing. This may be the case for most professionals in the respective careers. The athletes and performers I mentioned earlier are in the top percentile of everyone doing that particular thing.

Funny thing is I used to warm up. Funny thing is I used to practice. Funny thing is I committed my presentation and with some positions my script to memory. It’s really not funny as I continue. It’s sad to think I may have grown complacent. It’s sad to think I may be neglecting my client by not properly preparing. It’s sad to think nothing I’m doing may be broadcast to the masses because I’m performing at an elite level.

I believe we are capable of much more than we deliver. I believe we, this includes myself, underperform in most instances. I believe and I’m becoming more convinced we become accustomed to mediocrity. Constant reinforcement and affirmations from family, friends, coworkers, and the list goes on to establish, re-establish and set mediocrity in place, entrenched and engrained in our minds and actions. Those elite performers surround themselves with coaches and mentors and push beyond standards of mediocrity or being average.

During a consult last night, I found myself repeating things my mentor and a few others have said to me over the years. I found myself recalling and reciting some of the lessons I’d learned over the years. I also found myself thinking and knowing the client and I suffer from several similarities. I didn’t mind losing control of the call, but I did find myself thinking that I needed to improve this particular skill. I found myself needing to improve my ability to ask more effective closed end questions. I found myself thinking this is all great info, but it’s not what I asked for. I also thought last night and this morning that me and my clients would be better served if I were better at my job. I didn’t warm up before performing and although my performance wasn’t embarrassing, it was not noteworthy, in my opinion. There are ways to improve and warming up and practicing is one of the ways to do so. Taking an accurate and honest appraisal of performances is another way to improve.

I’ll make changes, warm up with practice, and any other items needed to perform at an elite level. If I’m going to do it, I ma

This is the first part of the entry.