Blog

You Have to Stick the Landing

growth work Jun 25, 2019

It’s easy to give our full effort and attention to the big things, but it’s the little things that make all the difference.

In gymnastics, the concept of ‘virtuosity’ measures the degree of artistry, or harmony, of the athlete’s movements. Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit, describes virtuosity as ‘doing common things uncommonly well.’

Virtuosity is attractive. When we see it, we can’t help but be drawn to it. I developed a deep appreciation for virtuosity by watching, of all things, a reality show. So You Think You Can Dance.

The early episodes of each new season featured a range of talent, from the comically bad to breathtakingly beautiful. For me, the best part of the show was comparing the dancers who were in the elite category and the ones who fell just a bit short. What made the difference?

Keep in mind, the people who came up just short are really, really good dancers. Most likely, they are better than anyone that you’ve ever met. If you saw one of these dancers perform you'd immediately recognize how good they are. But it's only when you compare them side-by-side with the very best that you see what they lack.

They lack Virtuosity. The most elite dancers had it. It's what made them elite.

So what? You don't dance, you say?

Virtuosity doesn’t just apply to dancing, CrossFit, and gymnastics. Virtuosity is everywhere. It’s in the hands of the mechanic who's working on your car. It’s in the waiter who gets your order perfect and also makes you feel completely at home. It’s virtuosity that differentiates good teachers from the teachers that you remember thirty years later. It’s the difference between doing just enough and going above and beyond.

Virtuosity is being intentional about the things that we easily do without the least bit of attention or care. Virtuosity is about doing more than just getting by.

Are there areas of your life where your virtuosity score has slipped? What can you do to bring more intention to your routine? What might be possible if you do?

In the video portion, I’ll go deeper into the benefits of virtuosity and give you some ideas about how to bring more virtuosity into your life.

Cheers!

-zog

—

Photocredit: https://pixabay.com/users/anovva-1428540/

—