Skip to main content

Repetition

It's about doing the same things over and over. It's about going through areas you've already gone through before. It's about seeing the same people day after day. Repetition.

I am watching a football game as I write this. One of the things that coaches stress is about repetition. The quarterback drops back in the pocket time after time. He throws the ball downfield again and again. He's "taking reps".

The offensive linemen push forward on a run and drop back on a pass. They practice -- sometimes 'two a days' in the hot summer heat. Same thing goes for the defensive linemen. Practice makes perfect. Sharp as a knife.

You then start to think about the repetition of life. The sun rises, the seasons change... you keep doing the same things over and over. Drive to work, eat food, go home, watch TV, go to bed. Over and over. Repetition. Practice makes perfect? I am far from perfect.

How come the same repetition does not guarantee the same results. "The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result". I believe it was Tony Robbins who said that. Why is this so?

I think it has to do with expectations. We expect that football players are going to practice to build muscle and to learn the moves they're expected to make on the field. When I get into a rut, I expect that my actions will help break me out of a rut. Does that make sense? No. I can't explain it... I'm finding it hard to break the pattern. It's difficult to step from tradition and things that you know, things that you're comfortable with but I'm going to try.

Except in a few areas. I'll keep you posted...

Popular posts from this blog

Top 10 Cartoon Duo's

This time out the subject is Top 10 Cartoon Duo’s. I was only going to make this a Top 5 list but I had so many entries to work with, I added the last 5. Here’s the list is no particular order – wait, that’s not right… 10. Ren & Stimpy: Call this entry the ‘Odd Couple’ of the group. A cat and a dog (I think) living together and making their way despite their obvious instincts to be sworn enemies. I have to admit that this cartoon was hard to watch sometimes because of the ‘gross’ nature of both characters – pooping and boogers a big part of the vernacular. “Oh, Re-e-e-n?”, “Yes, Stimpy!” 9. Inspector Gadget & Penny: An uncle and his niece go around solving crimes against Dr. Claw. It was actually Gadget and his dog, Brain, that tried to solve the crimes and Penny that actually solved them. She would tell Brain the solution and that crazy dog would expend a great deal of energy trying to make the Inspector understand the solution. Finally, when Inspector Gadget would ‘stumble
Read more

High Kings vs. Celtic Thunder

I had the rare chance to compare Irish music this weekend. I caught performances by both “The High Kings” and “Celtic Thunder”. First up was HK: The show was filmed in front of an audience somewhere in Ireland. The set appeared to be a simple wooden stage that was reminiscent of a boat dock – simple and effective. There were drums on the left and a small supporting band on the right. While they played, a large video wall displayed images behind them – mostly water – setting the mood for the song they were singing at the time. The vocalists were excellent. You could tell they were really Irish by their brogues, which were honest and uncluttered. The harmonies were good and you could tell they were really singing. In the beginning of the show they made it clear that everyone should know all the words to the songs they were singing and the audience was asked to “sing up”. They started with a rousing version of “The Rocky Road To Dublin” which drew everyone in and they never let the audien
Read more

Lunch with a side of awkward

Last week I was sitting in my office wondering what to eat for lunch since I didn’t bring anything to eat. I happened to be in our break room and saw a collection of restaurant menus and began thumbing through them for suggestions. I came across a place that I had heard of but had never been to, so I decided to go there – mostly because of how close it was to the office. I walked in and looked around. The place was empty. There was a table of 4 ladies in the corner who looked like your basic bridge-playing women. Sitting in the booth next to them was another couple that looked like they were wrapping things up in order to leave. Finally a server appeared and seated me at a table across the aisle from the foursome. By then, the other couple had left. As I looked around, I noticed a lot of the place was made of or covered in wood. It’s the kind of a place you might find overlooking a body of water, but all that was outside this place was a parking lot. The server was tall, thin, dark hai
Read more