We often assume that greatness should be unscripted. That an opportunity will present itself and we should spontaneously rise to the task and succeed. But is that realistic?
Think of a great comedy show. How did the comedian succeed? Sure, he may naturally be funny but nobody thinks he just walked into the club, made his way up on stage, and came up with that routine on the spot.
We know it takes months, if not years, to hone a great routine. It takes practice at home in the mirror, practice on family, practice in front of small shows of close friends, and practice opening up larger shows for more established comedians. Then finally after all the hard work, another comedian cancels at the last second and there's an opportunity to perform on the big stage. Success.
He was successful because all that practice showed him what worked and what didn't. Told him what jokes he needed to place and which he could keep. It allowed him to develop a rhythm and timing that would captivate the audience. The opportunity came and he was prepared.
Instead of fly or die approach many of us take, we should practice just like the comedian. If we want to be better in social situations, we should brainstorm some questions and topics at home and practice them in the mirror. We should use them with our family. We should try them on our friends and co-workers. Then when our opportunity presents itself at our next major work or social gathering, we too will be prepared to shine.
