Everyone is quite caught up in the search for “marginal gains” which has gained notoriety because of the success of British cycling in the past two Olympiads. To me little things is not about seeking marginal gains, rather it is doing the little things, it is doing what is necessary from day to day and training session to training session to keep progressing in training. The little things are about taking care of basics, the fundamentals, and the routine that will make a huge difference as they accumulate. Everyone spends time looking for that 2% that will put them on the podium. Take care of the first 98% and the 2% will come. That 98% consists of the basics and the fundamentals finely tuned and repeated everyday. Do the little things to insure steady progress towards the goal of excellence in the competitive arena.
1 Comment
Will Kirousis
Interesting take Vern. My belief is that applied correctly, looking for “marginal gains” only makes sense… the issue is when the “cool factor” of seeking marginal gains causes an athlete/coach to focus on the 2% when the 98% has not been aggressively developed and refined. Hey, looking for that “hidden” 2% when your only at 62% of the development process. That wont work.
It’s not about marginal gains being bad though… it’s about a lack of respect for the overall process and, I’d suggest, about the lack of patience for development to occur.