Olympian Garrett Weber-Gale said that if we improve technique, we won’t plateau. This is especially true in speed sports like swimming or running, but it’s true for many other activities too. Besides the physical mechanics of the action (i.e. the swimming stroke), having good technique also means:
- Good nutrition
- Good sleep
- Good training techniques
With extremely rare exceptions, technique is what makes the difference between high school athletes, college athletes, professional/elite/Olympian athletes, and gold medal winners. We can always improve our technique. Unless we’re already bumping up against the physical limits of the human body and setting world records, we can always break through plateaus. Especially if we focus on improving technique. Even if we don’t have the natural talent or ideal body type or whatever.
Most of us elite athletes, but this wisdom hold true outside of athletics. As Ryan Holiday said, if you want to be a more successful writer, don’t worry about the best ways to market or other business-focused tactics. Hone your craft. Jerry Seinfeld said the same thing about comedy. Or, as Garrett put it, improve your technique.