An Opus: “The most grandiose and memorable composition of a composer’s life and legacy.”

Recently, I had the opportunity to view Douglas Vermeeren's film, The Opus: From Vision, To Plan, To Performance. I found the story line trite and the acting mediocre, but the premise and the promise of the film are so overwhelmingly compelling that one can overlook the film's deficits. We are all engaged, through the living of our lives, in producing a grand Opus. We can choose to perform with passion, grace, and perfection or we may choose instead to pursue our individual Opus with less than stellar results. Tis the season to be thinking about the coming year and how we will preform in both our business and personal relationships. Will we dedicate ourselves to performing the most memorable composition of our lives or settle instead for mediocrity? How will others view our efforts? Will they be impressed with our performance or will they conclude that we fell short of our potential? The choice is ours. Will you make 2009 the year of your Opus?

Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, Outliers, The Story of Success includes a chapter entitled, “ 10,000 Hours” which is dedicated to the development of what is commonly recognized as “expertise”. Mr. Gladwell’s research indicates that the most successful practitioners in sports, music, entrepreneurship, science, etc. share a common experience. They have practiced, practiced, and practiced their art, craft, or science … approximately 10,000 hours. You may have witnessed a young boy or girl who devoted themselves to a sport or music and could be found practicing at all hours. By the time they’ve reached young adulthood, those who are fortunate, talented, and motivated, may mature to world –class athletes or musicians. Why? Practice, Practice, Practice…about 10,000 hour’s worth. The Beatles honed their musicianship during the early years in the nightclubs of Hamburg, Germany, playing eight hours per night up to seven days per week. Fate and circumstance may have favored their international success, but it cannot be denied that they were prepared for this success by virtue of the thousands of hours spent performing. My point is this: Are you getting the practice, experience, and knowledge necessary to fine tune your real estate skills to the point of attaining “expert” status? Is your environment conducive to providing you the business opportunities necessary to acquire the skills that will qualify you as an expert? Think about it...