Have you left your personal signature on EVERYTHING you do? Have you left a footprint in the heart of EVERYONE you touch?

How do you do things?

Are you the kind of person who holds back your energy and talent, saving your best performance for just the right time – then BAM! Waalah, you roll into action and give ’em your best shot – one swing of the bat and it’s a homerun out of the park! You saved the day! Feels great, doesn’t it? What a way to leave a footprint in the hearts and minds of all your teammates!

But wait, what’s behind that performance? Do you sit back waiting for that moment to shine? Or do you invest part of every day preparing for it?

We’ve all heard the expression “practice makes perfect”. Baseball’s legendary super slugger Barry Bonds adds a twist to that old expression that we all know is true: “Perfect practice makes practice perfect”, he says.

So what do these expressions together suggest about how we should be doing things?

Not even the strongest major league baseball slugger comes to the plate, takes one swing and time after time hits home run after home run. He has to spend all his time preparing for that moment. Every day of his life

Imagine Barry Bonds, likely baseball’s all time best home run hitter ever. How many times does he strike out in his quest to belt that ball over the fence? What is his pre-game preparation? Does he show up for practice late and leave early? How important might weight training, or a diet program, or mental or spiritual balancing be in his quest for that next home run?

Indeed, a man like Barry Bonds would be in constant preparation for that next stellar homerun. Sure as day and night he is focused on preparation as though every game was the World Series. He will visualize himself in the batter’s box with the winning run resting upon his ability to swing the bat with efficiency. He will hit that home run hundreds of times in his mind before ever actually finding himself at bat in a live, prime time situation. And, during both practice and performance, he will inevitably leave his signature – his footprint – on everything he does.

Consider Bonds as a metaphor for preparation and execution in your own life plan. Visualize everything you do as though you are playing ball in the major leagues. You have both opportunity and responsibility to do your best work – all the time.

Challenge yourself to upgrade your signature style; give your Customer Service Package a ‘facelift’! Those around you will feel it and this will even further help increase your own productivity. This is the Law of Reciprocity. I have heard it said, “When you help others get what they want, they will help you get what you want.” Start this practice on the very next person you come into contact with after reading this article. Give them a genuine smile, engage them in conversation and look for an opening through which you may WOW them by leaving a footprint in their hearts.

You will be amazed how these few simple ideas are easy to do and how they will change your life in a powerful way! After putting them to work, don’t be surprised if you find yourself hitting those balls out of the park not just once in awhile – but every single day!