This past Saturday night I was the guest of honor and keynote speaker at a Marine Birthday Ball for a reserve squadron in Dallas. They returned from a tour in Iraq earlier this year and while I may have been the guest of honor…it was an honor to speak to them. I was funny and I was brief and they liked that!

I reminded the nearly 500 attendees that Americans are grateful for their service and challenged them to become better at what they do in all aspects of their life. We know excellence is not a part time endeavor and our enemies are not resting so we can’t either.

The new book “Talent is Overrated” tells us that the only real way to get great at what you do is to practice it relentlessly. Good practice, not simply going through the motions, is what is required. These Marines worked up for six months to an elevated state of readiness and then deployed to the combat zone. They practiced to get great at what they do. Of course, the stakes are high for them but they are high for you too. Maybe not life and death but we are talking about your life so I would hope you are willing to work at it.

As I challenged them, I challenge you. What will you do in the coming year to be better? A better person, a better parent, a better spouse, a better golfer, a better employee, a better boss, a better……you fill in the blanks…

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