Re-Cap
It’s only after something has ended that you can recap the experience. From what has happened you can comprehend what was done, and if you are honest with the assessment you can record the positive and negative. If you are really good, then you will analyze and take note of the valuable lessons you will learn from the experience.
Maybe that’s why some keep repeating the same thing over and over and though expecting different results (the often described definition of insanity) they keep getting the same results over and over. Why? Perhaps it’s as simple as they never stop to recap the experience and point out the takeaways that should tell you what went well, and what didn’t go so well.
Where can I improve?
I was listening to an interview with Lindsay Vonn after she completed a practice and training ski run. She said the time spent allowed her to consider her equipment, the shape, and condition of the mountain, and prepare her for the day of competition that was several days away. She could recap her experiences on her downhill ski run and note what she did good and bad with each turn or segment. It actually prepared her for the next practice and training run.
Special note. She was already assured her place in the competition and was not needing this practice run to show her coaches she had what it took to compete, as were some of the other skiers. She had ALREADY proved herself through the years, but she still took the time to recap a training exercise!
Earlier this morning I recapped my Sunday lessons, assessed the positive and negatives, jotted down my lessons learned, and developed a strategy that will make the next presentation better than this time, and not making the same mistakes as yesterday. Yes. There were mistakes and missteps. We all have them and every single time you step up to the event you will seldom ever have a perfect experience! Even when you practice for perfection, there are many variables that will cause something to not be tweaked just right, and before you know it you have a new issue to deal with.
Think about it. How many times do you do something and still get less than a perfect result?
Listening to someone this morning explain their purpose in life made me pause and recap my own private world. He said, “I don’t want to work with those who think they can do something, I want to work with those who are doing something.” Doer’s do. Everyone else is a wannabe… How can you recap unless you are a doer?
This world is replete with those who will recap, analyze and present you with what they think you should do differently next time. How do they have the time to do this? They are not the doer’s like you are.
Before you take another repetitive step, why don’t you act like you are in a rehearsal for the live showing? Learn from your recaps of the past. Take action with those valuable lessons learned. Get out there and do it again. Only this time, I promise you, it will be better than ever before…even with those new issues you find in the next recap.