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The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do

Mark Sanborn
WaterBrook Press (2008)
ISBN 9781400073061
Reviewed by Andrey Bilko for RebeccasReads (12/08)

The main point of “The Encore Effect” is to inspire readers to achieve all of the set goals and become the best, not average or good, at whatever it is that he or she is doing, whether it is performance at the job, home, or anywhere else. The book makes you stop and think about your own performance: why is mediocrity often perceived as enough?  Why not strike for the top, for the best of the best? The only thing stopping us from achieving the best results is ourselves. If something goes unplanned and not as preferred, we try to find excuses and put the blame on something or someone else. Why not take the responsibility and blame for the lack of achievement, and learn from the failure in order to improve for the future? Not many individuals can achieve excellent results without failing first, learning from their mistakes, and improving for the future. “The Encore Effect” shows examples of famous people, who are considered the best in their fields, but who also failed quite a few times before achieving those heights.

“The Encore Effect” compares everyday life situations to performances. It does not hurt to pretend like you are an actor, performing in front of an audience, hoping to grab your audience’s attention and change someone’s life, while doing it. Actors, musicians, and other performers achieve excellent results through vigorous practice, over and over again. And many life situations are not any different from musical or theatrical performances. Most of the time, it is very beneficial and almost necessary to practice, in order to achieve the best results. It is necessary to set specific goals and practice before whatever it is that you need to do, whether it is a sales call or a date with a loved one. Practice is what gives people an extra edge, allowing them to become professionals and experts at what they do. It has been shown that gaining expertise at something requires 10,000 hours of practice (see recently published “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell). Practice, practice, and more practice, while knowing specific and realistic goals, is all that is needed “to achieve remarkable performance in anything you do.”

If you could not tell from the previous paragraphs, I found the book really inspiring, a text that makes you reconsider your own behavior, making you strive for excellence. In addition, this book has a lot of inspiring Christian commentary, which was no interest to me, but I am sure, is interesting to many. Overall, I recommend reading this book to everyone; it is a simple, quick read.  In some cases, it may be considered common knowledge, but it does not hurt to remind yourself of such common knowledge once in a while. Sometimes, it is just too easy to forget.

 

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