Three Pointer

If you watch basketball then I believe you should know what a three-pointer is. For some of us who don't, in the game of basketball, it's when a player successfully throws the ball into the net from the three-point line, which is a designated arc that surrounds the basket. This shot wins the team three points, hence the name. But, what's significant for us today is the skill of continuously, with very high probability, scoring a three-pointer on every single trial.

In baseball, this same principle is called Batting Average, which is the statistical count of the number of times a player's bat hits the ball. Some players are remarkably good at it. In basketball today, you'd usually hear names like Stephen Curry, Ray Allen and Klay Thompson. The same goes for the game of golf. The much-vaunted Tiger Woods was a phenomenal player. The story goes for other sports. Some measurements of success differentiate averages from the top class. But the reality is that the best players never started that way.

There is a principle called The Law of Averages. It says an expected outcome will occur at a probable frequency if over certain periods of time trials are maintained. Here's my point, these high players had to go through training. And they kept on the pace. They neglected distractions; they sustained the momentum until they could do better.

See, when Stephen Curry started throwing the ball, probably out of ten, he scored 0. Then later, after numerous practice and coaching, he started scoring 1/10. Then later, 2/10. And later, 10/10. That's the law of averages.

Now, I must say that it's beyond physical practice. It's also mental. You have to believe. There's a remarkable book you need to read. It's called The Magic of Believing, by Claude Bristol. When you start reading this book, you might not really understand what Bristol was saying. But if you stay with the book, you'll discover something. You'll get the key to making life happen for you. Everything needs faith. Quitting requires faith; succeeding requires faith.

So, you can become. But you have to apply the law of averages. No one was born an Industry Expert. No company starts out big. Jeff Bezos once said, "Big things start small." Just try. And if you have started, keep building. The law of averages will work for you. Sustain your faith, or better still, build on it.