Most people look back on their life and wonder what they could have accomplished if
they’d only been more decisive and committed. You can avoid that kind of regret by
choosing to become the best you can at something. What do you want to master?
Follow this process to be the best you can be:
Assess your strengths. Your greatest potential will involve one of more of your
strengths. Most strengths can be applied to any endeavor with a focused
approach.
The first step is to identify these strengths. What are you better at than
nearly everyone you know? What has always been easy for you? What are
you best at?
Assess your weaknesses. Do the same with your weaknesses. While
weaknesses can, and often should, be strengthened, it’s helpful to avoid them at
all costs when it’s time to get busy. Relying on your weaknesses increases the
odds of failure.
What do you like? It’s not just about effort and skill. It’s about putting in
enough time to be successful. That’s easier to do when you enjoy what you’re
doing. You might have great potential to be the world’s greatest golfer, but if
you can’t stand the game, you’ll never do it. More importantly, you wouldn’t
want to anyway.
Think about what you enjoy doing. What activities cause you to lose track
of time?
What do you want to accomplish? Now that you know your strengths,
weaknesses, and likes, you can decide what you want to master. You can’t do
much without making this important decision. Everything going forward
depends on this decision. Think carefully.
Consider how you will measure mastery. Is it when you can drive a golf
ball 300 yards 9 times out of 10? Play a specific piece of music on the
piano? Earn $1 million in a year? How will you know you’ve won?
Avoid distractions. Distractions are the enemy to progress. We all have things
we enjoy doing that accomplish nothing other than providing temporary
amusement.
Make a list of your favorite distractions. How willing are you to avoid
these items? This is a good indicator of your potential for success.
Find a mentor. You can’t reach your ultimate potential without a mentor, coach,
advisor, or whatever title you prefer. It can shave years off your learning curve
and help you to avoid the mistakes you’re destined to make on your own.
Seek out the best in your field and make contact. At the very least, read
books on the topic written by experts. The library can provide you with
plenty of mentors.
Make a commitment. Mastery requires commitment. It’s the commitment to
develop yourself, overcome obstacles, and to put in the necessary time. It’s the
commitment to find a mentor and to avoid those appealing distractions.
Focus on improvement. Seek regular small improvements. Consistent progress
is the key to mastery. Mastering anything can take years, or even decades.
If perfection is your daily goal, you’ll be disappointed. Weekly progress is
an attainable goal that can keep you going.
Have you ever truly committed yourself to anything? Now can be that time. What
interests you? What do you want to know inside and out? Mastering anything can
give you a new level of pride and confidence.
It takes some sacrifice to master anything, because you have less time available for
other pursuits. However, most people find it’s worth the sacrifice. What do you want
to master?
