What is it about practice that has the potential to make perfect? Emphasis on the word 'potential'. Vince Lombardi has it right with this quote: "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect." Practice does not necessarily make perfect especially if the practice is plagued with errors. A great example of someone who takes perfect practice seriously is Tiger Woods. He understands that without perfect practice, his game can never be the perfection he needs to be a golf champion. To perfect his practice, he designed and built a facility that's second to none. The complex was created with a single goal in mind - to replicate tournament-like conditions, similar to those he faced around the world. What are you doing to perfect your practice runs? What can you do to make your practice perfect?

To become great at anything requires a certain level of commitment, a great helping of diligence and a fair amount of follow-through. To achieve a high-level of expertise at anything means practicing your craft and making your practice perfect. We all come pre-packaged with some natural gifts and talents - something that we do in a way that no-one else can. But there are challenges that come even when we are operating in our area of strength, the key is not to give up.There will always be challenges whether we focus on making our strengths stronger or work tirelessly in an attempt to overcome our limitations. So why not focus our energies on our strengths?

I am a great believer in encouraging people to practice and perfect their strengths to make them stronger rather than focusing on their weaknesses. I think the more time we spend on perfecting our areas of strength, the more our limitations tend to diminish. Strengths will always be positive and weaknesses negative and as human beings we respond better to the positive than the negative.

As another year draws to an end, it's time to start setting the right goals that will allow us to excel in our areas of gifting. Practicing to achieve perfection makes us better prepared for the opportunities that are sure to come. You see, perfect practice and success goes hand in hand. Life will hardly waste success on people who are determined to be unprepared; those who choose not to perfect their practice.

Everything worthwhile in life will have a cost associated with it; a price we must pay and practice is often that price. It's time to get busy sharpening your strengths. Start by identifying your best strengths; your personal power. If you don't know what they are, solicit feedback by those closest to you; at work and at home. Once you have established what they are, seek the necessary development opportunities to build on them to help increase your future potential.