As I've written previously, I have developed a moderate obsession with golf in recent years. I play as often as possible. I practice as often as possible. I read about it and watch it on television as often as possible. My wife might tell you I am developing a problem.
But I've recently discovered something interesting from watching formal interviews and just casual conversations among golf pros on television. Sure, they engage in the basic chit-chat we all do. But almost always, one question keeps coming up, no matter who it is: "What are you working on?"
Again, this isn't just what amateurs who struggle to break 90 are talking about. These are former and current professionals asking each other.
And their answers are important. No one ever just says, "Putting," or "Hitting it farther." Everyone is working on those things, so those answers don't mean anything! Instead, they say, "I'm working on trying to improve my proximity to the hole from 25 feet down to 20 feet on my approach shots from 150-125 yards." Or they'll say, "I'm working on reducing my spin rate and trajectory on my tee shots to try to gain another five yards in the fairwah." Or they'll say, "I'm working on improving my speed control on the greens to boost my make percentage from 10% to 20% on putts of 20-25 feet."
Their answers are specific, measurable, and directly lead to improved scoring performance. But this isn't just something pro athletes should be doing. Those of us in the academic world should be constantly asking ourselves (and each other) the same question: "What are you working on?"
If you are a college student, and someone asks you that question, you might say, "I'm working on my classes, of course," or "I'm trying to maintain my GPA," or "I'm studying for my math test." But those answers don't mean anything because that is what everyone (probably) is doing, and there are no specific actions to take.
For those English students out there, your answer should be something like, "I know I'm not very comfortable with poetry, so I'll be working on reading and explicating a different Emily Dickinson poem every day for the next thirty days." Or you could say, "Even though I have a B in my writing class, I know I still struggle with citations in my research papers, so I'm going to meet with a tutor twice a week for the next month for extra practice." Or you could say, "I don't feel like I've learned enough about literary theory to prepare me for being an English teacher, so I'm going to ask my professor his recommendations for the ten best books on literary theory, and I'll read and study them over the summer."
Even though I do this for a living, I need to force myself to answer that question too. Right now, I'm working on an Ernest Hemingway collection that I've not read before, and I'm working on a new research idea for a literary article on John Steinbeck. There you go--we all should be doing it!
And this mentality isn't just for certain occasions. If you want to be smart and successful, you have to be working on something all the time. Remember, the golfers above don't need to be working on extra things--they are already professionals and super rich. They are doing it for personal excellence. Similarly, I don't need to read more Hemingway or write more research papers--I already have the highest academic degree you can earn. But it's not about receiving rewards. It's about always striving to get better, to learn more. Constant improvement is the ultimate goal. So whether you are at the golf course, on a shift behind a counter at Starbucks, lounging on the couch with your cell phone glued to your hand, or sitting in an English class, get in the habit of being honest with yourself and sincerely asking, "What are you working on?"
But I've recently discovered something interesting from watching formal interviews and just casual conversations among golf pros on television. Sure, they engage in the basic chit-chat we all do. But almost always, one question keeps coming up, no matter who it is: "What are you working on?"
Again, this isn't just what amateurs who struggle to break 90 are talking about. These are former and current professionals asking each other.
And their answers are important. No one ever just says, "Putting," or "Hitting it farther." Everyone is working on those things, so those answers don't mean anything! Instead, they say, "I'm working on trying to improve my proximity to the hole from 25 feet down to 20 feet on my approach shots from 150-125 yards." Or they'll say, "I'm working on reducing my spin rate and trajectory on my tee shots to try to gain another five yards in the fairwah." Or they'll say, "I'm working on improving my speed control on the greens to boost my make percentage from 10% to 20% on putts of 20-25 feet."
Their answers are specific, measurable, and directly lead to improved scoring performance. But this isn't just something pro athletes should be doing. Those of us in the academic world should be constantly asking ourselves (and each other) the same question: "What are you working on?"
If you are a college student, and someone asks you that question, you might say, "I'm working on my classes, of course," or "I'm trying to maintain my GPA," or "I'm studying for my math test." But those answers don't mean anything because that is what everyone (probably) is doing, and there are no specific actions to take.
For those English students out there, your answer should be something like, "I know I'm not very comfortable with poetry, so I'll be working on reading and explicating a different Emily Dickinson poem every day for the next thirty days." Or you could say, "Even though I have a B in my writing class, I know I still struggle with citations in my research papers, so I'm going to meet with a tutor twice a week for the next month for extra practice." Or you could say, "I don't feel like I've learned enough about literary theory to prepare me for being an English teacher, so I'm going to ask my professor his recommendations for the ten best books on literary theory, and I'll read and study them over the summer."
Even though I do this for a living, I need to force myself to answer that question too. Right now, I'm working on an Ernest Hemingway collection that I've not read before, and I'm working on a new research idea for a literary article on John Steinbeck. There you go--we all should be doing it!
And this mentality isn't just for certain occasions. If you want to be smart and successful, you have to be working on something all the time. Remember, the golfers above don't need to be working on extra things--they are already professionals and super rich. They are doing it for personal excellence. Similarly, I don't need to read more Hemingway or write more research papers--I already have the highest academic degree you can earn. But it's not about receiving rewards. It's about always striving to get better, to learn more. Constant improvement is the ultimate goal. So whether you are at the golf course, on a shift behind a counter at Starbucks, lounging on the couch with your cell phone glued to your hand, or sitting in an English class, get in the habit of being honest with yourself and sincerely asking, "What are you working on?"