I watched a fair amount of FIFA World Cup games earlier this month. I don’t watch much soccer outside of those games and there are probably a lot of people who do the same. Even the most enthusiastic soccer fans won’t see the hours of practice the players put in day after day, for years. They practice the basics over and over until they can do them almost without thinking about it. It’s natural for them to know where their teammates are and what passing options they have.

It’s much like being a great musician. Most people won’t see the hours you put in practicing day after day, for years. They won’t know how long it took before you could play your instrument almost without thinking about it. They weren’t watching the time you spent racking your brain finishing the best lyrics you’ve ever written. But they will see the results. They will see how well you can play and how well your song flows. They won’t see your hard work, but they’ll see you in the spotlight.