Eye For Detail

A long time ago I learned that the two qualities every successful person has is a good eye for detail and follow through. An eye for detail is knowing where you are right now, recognizing what you are presently doing, and how both are supporting your goals. Follow through is using this knowledge to tweak your approach and refocus your efforts. As it applies to kung fu, an eye for detail and follow through are essential qualities found in every black belt.

At class this week, I asked my students to visualize what kind of black belt they wanted to be. I told them to picture themselves five years in the future as that rank. I then had them complete a couple of drills while they held that vision in front of themselves. At the end of the drill I asked - "How many of you, while picturing yourself as a black belt, envisioned yourself with two artificial hips and requiring the use of a walker?" Not one hand went up. The point I was making was that while they all were picturing themselves as black belt, that vision did not translate to proper foot position when they were throwing their kicks. Improper technique leads to bad hips. My point was eye for detail is exactly that - detail. Having a vision of yourself as a black belt without a vision of the details that go into making yourself a black belt is the difference between having a dream and having a goal. A dream is a vision and only a vision. A goal is a dream with a plan. A plan is the detail that will make a goal an attainable reality.

Following through with what needs to be done to attain a goal is putting your eye for detail into practice. Recognize where you are and stay aware of what you are doing. If your thoughts and actions are in harmony with each other, meaningful progress will be made. Seeing where you want to be and working backwards to where you are, holds the details of success.

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen." - John Wooden (1910 - 2010)