Process

    How to be successful?  It's a question I have wrestled with for years.  I suppose another way of looking at it would be to say, how do I get the things I want?  When I look back on my twenties, I can reasonably say they were largely successful.  There were a few bumps and misses here and there.  But, by and large, I think I did reasonably okay for myself.  For that I have to thank my parents.  
     It all started with piano.  I hated it.  I did not want to learn how to the play it.  I wanted nothing to do with it.  I also didn't have a choice.  My mom said I was taking lessons and I would practice every day.  And, that's all there was to it.  Despite my reticence, piano taught me how to work at something and constantly make it better.  Ironically, the fact that I didn't love the piano when I started may have been a good thing.  I didn't get discouraged when things were hard or tedious.  I had no grand plans or aspirations about what I wanted to do with piano so I never got stuck worrying about what I was doing.  Every day I did the work and made improvements.  
      Years went by.  Without even realizing it, I became quite proficient.  Seeing what I was able to accomplish at the piano gave me the belief and understanding that with the right process anything is possible.  If you can dream it you can do it.    

     I was lucky when it came to the piano.  I had good teachers.  But, perhaps more importantly, I had my mom.  She pushed me through and over obstacles.  If there was something that needed to be worked on she forced me to focus on it.  I didn't realize it at the time, but those were the key ingredients necessary to continually move forward.  
     I know a lot of people who have big dreams.  But, dreaming without doing means nothing.  I also know a lot of people who want to put in the time and the effort to make things happen, but they don't know how to move forward.  To get the things that you want means getting started, continually self assessing, focusing on weaknesses, taking two steps forward for every one step back, being accountable, making adjustments, putting in the work, and in general finding a way to move forward every day.  

Innokenty doing the work for a succesfull 2015 racing season.

      Having the right process is not some secret formula.  It's as simple as putting in the work and making small improvements every day.  Always move forward.  

"The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do."

-Sarah Ban Breathnach  

     Every day my daughter Chloe works at the piano.  You can see her progression over the past couple of years by looking at the songs she has played.  Some people might call her talented.  But, she's worked hard to be where she is at.  She's only seven years old.  Imagine the possibilities of what she can accomplish.  Semper Porro.