What We Can Learn About Taking Action From Watching Sports
(2 Min Read) Taking high percentage actions.
Even if you are not a sports person, you likely have seen a sporting event on TV. Watching pro athletes battle it out for the win is always mesmerizing. What we amateurs don't realize that pro-athletes are playing a different game from what we see on TV.
All sports are a game of will, determination, talent, skill, and execution. As you train, you realize that there are many winning strategies that athletes must learn and execute on the field. The first winning strategy is to learn how to play a high percentage game.
Tennis is a game of high percentage shots, so is basketball, cricket, and other games played on the field. During every moment of the game, athletes have options to choose the next play. They can take the long low percentage play or go for a high percentage play.
What we see on TV is all pro-athletes executing high percentage play most of the time.
So what does all of this have to do with taking action?
Imagine that the athlete has to make a play during the game. It can be hitting the ball back or shooting it towards the hoop. But instead of playing offensive or defensive, they do nothing and freeze. The outcome of that action is a loss.
Nerves can cause people to freeze, but what would you say if they told you that they decided not to do anything because they were uncertain about the outcome of the next play?
You would shout at them for not taking the play. And yet, many of us do the same with our actions.
Uncertainty about the actions' outcome is why most people don't take action.
As humans, we tend to gravitate towards certainty. And when actions' outcome is uncertain, we refrain from taking action.
There are many examples of this.
Thinking about buying a stock and not doing it. Only to see the stock 🚀
Thinking about joining a startup and not doing it because it's too early/too late. Only to realize it was the next unicorn.
We skip many actions because we are not sure of the outcome.
How to take more action?
Instead of seeking 100% certainty of the outcome, we should take actions when the we have a high percentages (>50%) chances of a favorable outcome.
Not every high percentage action is going to result in a favorable outcome. But over a long period, enough high percentage actions will result in a high number of favorable outcomes.
And as every action has a reaction, there will be some outcome. At least we are not freezing when its our chance to play.
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