Plan for Success
There’s no shortage of people telling pilots what they’re supposed to do, but very few understand or can explain how. Consequently, most hold onto the narrow view that only practice makes perfect. The million-dollar question is, “Practice what?” The majority of people in our sport don’t fly with any sort of a plan because they presume that it would take some of the fun out flying. But nothing could be further from the truth. Next time you’re at the flying field, watch to see who’s enjoying flying more: the guy working on something who gets a thrill every time he does a little better, or the guy making it up as he goes who’s having to make thousands of split-second decisions based on whatever the plane happens to be doing at any given moment?
In the absence of any plan for success, there’s not much to motivate a person to exert himself. While on the other hand, the greater one’s hope for success, the more motivated he becomes to put forth some effort. The good news is that you don’t have to work as hard as you might think to make significant progress. The world’s former #1 golfer often stated that his formula for success was to improve in one area every time he played a round. Realizing how many times he played golf in a year, he took great confidence from knowing that this simple approach would amount to hundreds of improvements by the end of the season. Whether you fly hundreds of times a year or not, do yourself a favor and target one area to improve before each flight, and it won’t be long before you reflect back on the amazing amount of progress you’ll have made.