The only way to have a prolonged career in pro sports is to be serious about one's craft. Mr. Redick is obviously serious.
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I certainly don't mean to sound critical as I, too, have some obsessive compulsive tendencies. But these habits, as described by Mr. Redick, are NOT just those of a well organized and meticulous, disciplined professional athlete. They are indicators of a serious case of obsessive compulsive disease. Between all those exercise and practice sessions, he should be spending significant time in psycho-therapy and consider medication if perscribed by a trained physician. O.C. patients are actually miserable as they are enslaved by their compulsions. It is a horrible disease; if you are in doubt, do some research, it's a very interesting disorder.
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Another version of the infamous 10,000 hours a human requires to achieve mastery. It's remarkable what that outsized dedication does for us average talent folks. Amazing what happens to the Mozarts, the Beethovens, ...and the Redicks, when the greatness of their talent is matched by matchless devotion to their art.
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I appreciate the writers' ("LW") love of habits. But I would remind them habits, especially bad ones, can be the enemy of progress.
I foresee J.J. becoming the next coach of Duke after Coach J. retires.
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My father would tell me that life is primarily made up of habits; so it was important to develop good ones. As I got older I could see the wisdom in what to a younger kid was a serious buzz kill to the creative genius I was unleashing.....
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I would like to know more about his background, to explore how he got to be like this. I am a chronic order-seeker myself and could probably be documented in much the same way (just not all physical training: doggie-walk route, order of cleaning pets' dishes, where I put them on the counter, vacuuming route, etc). I know it works for me, but not why!
Good article. Reminds me of a W.C. Heinz article.