If you only do 2 things ..

I'm sure I will write these up in much more detail at some stage. However, for now I want to highlight what I consider the two most fundamentally awesome hacks that we can teach our kids.


1. Perfect practice makes perfect
2. Expect better


Perfect Practice.

Fundametally, if you are going to practice something - do it correctly! There is little use practicing something in a wrong way - you are building incorrect neural pathways in the brain. These will lead to mis-understanding, bad habits, and trouble down the track when you need to correct the error/s that you have been practicing.

When you practice, be very deliberate to get things right. Take it slowly, take time to learn all the little things correctly before moving on and considering something as learnt.

Never again believe the saying "Practice makes perfect". As of this very moment you are smarter than that.

The main problem with practice is rushing through it. Completing something does not mean you got all from it that you should have. If you are going to practice, please allow yourself to get the most from it by at least practicing perfectly.


Expect Better

The best we can do on any given day is just that - the best you can do. Some days it will be better than other days. However - maintaining the automatic expectation of doing your best is a skill that needs to be learnt.

Too often we accept 'good enough'. 

Instill in your kids the idea that you expect great things from them - that they should expect great things from themselves. But we can all have off days, where things just don't seem to work out so well - and that is OK! As long as they do the best they could at the time, and accept that with practice, determination and effort everything will improve.

So tell your kids that what you expect of them, and even more importantly what they need to expect of themselves. Then support them in every which way to make it happen. Support the ups, support the downs.

I'm certainly not saying you need to expect the absolute best, or for your kids to BE the best .. but expect them to try their best, and aim for better all the time.