Be Good at Anything

Many of us have the desire to learn something new. We say to ourselves, "I wish I could do that" when we look at someone who has a skill that we admire. The reality is however, that there is no magical power that causes someone to learn something. There is, no doubt, talent involved. Certainly, professional musicians, sports stars and experts in many different fields have native abilities that lend themselves to those areas. However, you would be hard pressed to find a successful person in any profession who did not put the time in to learning his particular craft. In professional sports, this is what separates the good ones from the great ones. Michael Jordan, while blessed with enormous talent, was also noted for his tremendous work ethic. Peyton Manning stays up late into the night studying tapes from the games of his opponents. Professional musicians practice their instruments 8 hours a day. So, although all of them have talent, they have to develop that talent.

Right now you may be asking yourself, "should I spend 8 hours a day learning an instrument or mastering a hobby?" The answer to that question is no. What separates those who are good at something from those who are mediocre is consistency. To develop a talent or a skill requires a constant, consistent effort. When you were a small child perhaps you had a piggy bank. Maybe you had a toy that you wanted that you had your heart set on and you went around the house or to your neighbors and offered to do chores for money. Maybe you set up a lemonade stand. Slowly, you put the coins and dollar bills into your piggy bank until it was full and you had saved enough money to buy the toy. You did not go out and make all the money in one day. You worked at it, over time. When you first made money to buy your toy, you probably also had a sense of pride in earning the money yourself. Most likely, you also learned a lot about yourself and what it takes to accomplish something in the process.

It requires a few things to learn a new skill. Many of us like to use the word discipline, but when we call it a routine, it becomes a part of our daily schedule, like brushing our teeth. It's not anything that we have to think about or give a particular effort to; it's just something that is a part of our life. The professionals move beyond discipline, they are so disciplined at their skill that it becomes a routine. They are so locked in on what it requires to be good at what they do, it simply establishes itself as a part of their lives.

There are three basic elements to learning your new skill:

1) Focus. Decide what it is you want to be good at. Choose something that you want to learn. Be clear. If you haven't made up your mind, you will constantly be distracted, floating from one new project to another. Pick one thing. Stick with it.

2) Goals. You must establish a clear goal for what it is you want to learn. What level do you want to attain? What would be a satisfactory level of proficiency for you in this area? Set a long term goal. Long term goals, however, are unattainable without short term goals. You must decide how much time you want to commit to your new project. Decide how much time you want to commit daily to learning your new skill. Make this a daily appointment, 5 days a week, of at least a half an hour a day. Each daily time investment is another coin in the piggy bank. The more you break down your long term goals into smaller, more specific short term goals, the easier it becomes to reach your ultimate objective.

3) Action. Without action, it's just a dream. Once you decide what you really want to learn, start! Start today!

You may become an expert in your new skill. You may not. You may find out after trying it for a while you don't really enjoy it. But, just like when you were a child and had your first lemonade stand, you will learn a lot about yourself in the process.