the rider adapts: how to become great at just about anything

(Sorry for hijacking your post title, Karen! But it was far too perfect for me to leave it!)

While I’m busily painting, painting, painting away (many poles must be beautified, standards, panels, and flower boxes too!), plus cleaning dressage courts (yes those vinyl pieces do require cleaning, unfortunately!), and generally making merry with the event planning, I’ve been listening to a LOT of podcasts.  And this one in particular resonated with me.

Freakonomics — How to Become Great at Just About Anything

If you don’t already listen to Freakonomics (or haven’t read the book), in it Steven Dubner and Steven Levitt explore the hidden side of everything.  Everything!  (They haven’t done racehorses yet… I need to get them on that.)  In this particuar episode they discuss the difference between hard work and talent, a dichotomy of which I am sure all riders are ALL very aware.  In the podcast Dubner talks with experts both in sports psychology and sports themselves about how to deliberately practice a skill to improve, and the best ways to approach improvement in any area of your life.  (It’s self improvement month on the Freakonomics podcast!)

So while I’m setting up the XC course tomorrow, you guys should give it a listen.  And listen to other Freakonomics podcasts!  They are awesome!

Also, I am a big podcast head, and I am always looking for new things to listen to!  I already regularly download America’s Test Kitchen, The Splendid Table (food podcasts), The USEA podcast, Horse Radio Network’s Eventing and Dressage radio shows (horsey podcasts, obviously), You Bet your Garden (gardening), This American Life, Snap Judgment, Radiolab (umm… life category?), Wait Wait Don’t Tell me, and a few other seasonal podcasts.  Share what you listen to with me so I have more painting fodder!!