is usually followed by frustration. I know what to do. I know how to do it. I have done it before. Why can’t I get this right? The feeling plagues salespeople, sportsmen and probably, at some point or another, every single one of us.
Under-performance is not a state of being. It’s not a magic juice that has run out which we are better off accepting. Instead, it’s a symptom. It’s a lagging indicator of something much easier to fix.
Basics.
Over time, we forget it. As soon as it becomes second nature it drops to our subconscious and we operate under the illusion that we have it down. If this were true, we would flawlessly execute basics every time and avoid underperformance.
Basics fade. As we get more confident, we slack on the discipline.
Basics are the easiest to master, but the hardest to sustain. This is why, so often, experienced people make silly mistakes.
The good news: you already know how to do it.