How To Become Better At Anything
You want to become better at something? Do it.
Do it a lot.
Do it constantly.
Never stop doing it.
Do it even if you’re bad.
Research how to do it better.
Do it some more.
Do it every day.*
This applies for anything and for anyone.
I am an utter disgrace when it comes to drawing portraits (or anything really). How often have I tried? About a dozen times at various times in my life. What if I’d continued to draw portraits every single day since I was fifteen? I might not have become Leonardo da Vinci, but I can swear to you I would be better than I am now.
My great passion in life is expressing the images, dreams, and visions in my head on paper with words and punctuation. Ignoring school and work (where I am a copywriter), I would say I have practiced about once a week over the last ten years, if I average it. That’s pathetic. That’s the real disgrace.
My “New Year’s Resolution”, so to speak, was to write every single day. I have written 43 days so far this year (We’ve had 46 days). That’s 30,591 words. I’ve almost written more in 46 days than I’d averaged yearly before.
And what have I accomplished? I’ve finished my novel. The one I’ve been laboring over for at least two and a half years. I’ve written and published seven articles. I’ve planned an entire digital magazine concept, which I would really love to get off the ground this year.
And I whipped out a short story the other night that I thought was pretty damn good. As I set about the overwhelming task of editing my novel, I’ve realized that I’ve clearly gotten better at writing- in the last two years- but exponentially in the last 46 days. It works.
Do it (whatever it is) every day and it works.
If you are an artist or creator of any kind, then you better be doing something about it every single day- Monday, Friday, the weekend- every day. Give yourself some sort of minimum, like “I have to finish at least one piece of art for it to count.” I don’t know. We’ve already established that I’m not an artist so I don’t know what I’m talking about. My daily writing had to be at least 150 words for it to count. Maybe it is an hour of practicing your instrument. 30 minutes of singing. Editing 10 minutes of video. Whatever your art is, do it every day.
If you want to be a better partner as a friend or significant other, then practice that every single day. Make a list of things that you can do to be a better friend or romantic partner and do one thing from the list every day. I made a list of things I can write on or about- from chapters of the novel, different themed articles, or magazine planning- whatever your goal is, lists can help.
If you want to learn a language, then do something with it every single day. Make your list of skills to learn, from listening, writing, speaking, and reading skills and try to work on 1–2 exercises for each every week. There’s no possible way you won’t get better.
If you want to be better at cooking, then go on and do it every day. Cook the same recipe every freaking day until it is perfect. Or try a new recipe every day until you know your way around a kitchen and can whip up just about anything you want.
If you want to be better at being less stressed, anxious or depressed, then pick a therapeutic activity from your list to do each day. Try marking off each day on a calendar or tracking your activities in some way for a very visual representation of all the hard work you are doing. If you are like me, you will not only notice how much you are getting better**, but will feel incredibly accomplished when you see a mark on every day of your month.
If you want to be healthier or lose weight or be stronger, then do something for those goals every day. Not three times a week. Not when you feel like it. Every single day until you don’t even have to think about it. When it is an everyday habit, there’s no decision of “should I work out or not”. You just do it because that’s what you do.
Whatever it is, do it.
No matter how concrete or abstract it is, you can improve it.
Now, stop reading, get down to work. And do it.
And now that’s another day and 869 more words to add to my daily tracker. Go me!
*This motivational note is absolutely 100% inspired by some of my leadership role models like Gary Vee, Casey Neistat, Simon Sinek, Brandon Sanderson, and many others who do their thing every single day and have the results to show for it.
**If you are clinically anxious or depressed, I’m not saying you can solve this with a better attitude and therapeutic activities. But hopefully, combined with recommended therapy, medication, diet, and other activities that your doctor recommends, you can start to feel better than before.
