It looked so far down.  With my hands in the air and me contemplating my first cartwheel in at least two decades, the ground look so far away.  My incredulous family didn’t believe I could do it and suddenly I didn’t think I could either.

For the first time, I felt old.

Fear had taken over and I cursed myself for having a kid so late in life. I kept my arms up as I argued with myself.  I am not ready to feel old yet.  I still have too much daring to do.  They don’t believe you can do it and besides, who cares if I can’t.   

I cared.  

I stopped thinking about it and over I went. It was a respectable cartwheel.  Afterward, my daughter darted straight into my arms and gave me a bear hug.  I was her hero.

Life offered me a teaching moment and I took it.  I decided that I could show her that I could do a cartwheel or I could show her how to work on doing a great cartwheel.  Coincidently, a few days earlier Brook Kreder was offering her free No Excuses 90 Day Movement Challenge.  I had been contemplating signing up to get back in shape. 

After that cartwheel, I committed to sign up. My goals was that within 90 days, I would do a great cartwheel, somersault and a 60 second handstand.  

Why?

When I was growing up, the only time I ever practiced much of anything was when I became a cheerleader during my senior year.  Until then, school was easy for me and I rarely studied.  Sure, my brother helped me with long division in the third grade. That was before I entered a test of wills with my fourth grade teacher over my handwriting. I won the battle and my penmanship has never recovered.

Since I was able to get by without studying or practice, I didn’t think I needed it.  

Then I became a cheerleader and I couldn’t get the moves. Because it didn’t come easy, I lost my confidence.  The problem was I didn’t know anything about practice, I just figured I couldn’t do it and after high-school I fell back on doing things that came easy.  

That is until I started my own business. It takes work, study, dedication and tons of practice.  I can’t decide to not do something just because the ground looks so far away.  And until I went to do that cartwheel, I hadn’t realized that I had changed.  

As the ground pulled away from me as I looked down, a thought occurred to me.  I could practice gymnastics and get good at it.  And that practice could extend to how I approach different aspects of my business. Hell, it would extend to how I approach different challenges in my life. 

You see, practice doesn’t apply just to entrepreneurship, school or youth sports.  Practice applies to everything in life that you want to do well.

Why does it matter?  When you practice you become better, which fuels your confidence.  You become powerful and as that power leads to mastery you become fully engaged, inspired and enthusiastic about doing things.

The problem with not practicing and improving is that you are left feeling vulnerable, fearful and insecure.  You avoid experiences and opportunity.

Practice trains your mind to try harder, learn from mistakes, correct yourself, adapt, and then try again.  It builds an utterly positive feeling that gives rise to inspiration, the belief that anything is possible.  And believe me, if at age 46 I can learn to do a 60-second handstand, just about anything is freakin’ possible.