How to Become World-Class at Anything
Set realistic goals and take consistent action.
It’s fine to be average, but it’s better to be extraordinary.
I want to be exceptional at a few things.
Is that how you feel too?
The truth is that anyone can do anything extraordinary if they transform themselves a certain way, adopting a straightforward method proven to work throughout history.
You Can Do It If You Go About It the Right Way
Getting to world-class levels takes dedication and hard work. You have to believe you can do it.
It takes countless hours to master your craft.
You’ll need perseverance once you’ve reached a certain level of competence because each upcoming challenge may seem impossible.
You’ll also need patience; each and every challenge may force you to think outside the box and push the boundaries of your abilities.
Take pride in who you are and use it to drive every task you do.
You’ll get world-class results with consistent effort and attitude.
But where do you even start?
The 10,000-hour rule might be a good place to start.
What Is the 10,000-Hour Rule?
According to Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, gaining expertise in a field requires approximately 10,000 hours of practice.
Gladwell says you can become an expert if you put in 10,000 hours of practice in your field.
He also emphasizes that practicing purposefully and focusing on improving your skills are equally crucial. This means dedicating yourself to the learning process and always striving to reach higher levels of mastery.
He gives numerous examples. For instance, Bill Gates spent 10,000 hours programming computers before becoming one of the world’s most successful tech entrepreneurs.
The Secret Sauce of Success
You have to repeat and practice an activity until it’s second nature. It’s like riding a bike — the more you do it, the easier it gets until it becomes intuitive.
The 10,000-hour rule works for those who follow it. It’s the belief that if you want to master a skill, you must practice it for 10,000 hours. Although an average statistic, the evidence in his book backs it up.
His research on violin players found that those who practiced at least 10,000 hours outperformed those who practiced less. His findings suggest that the amount of deliberate practice, rather than innate talent, is a key factor in determining skill level. Through deliberate practice, we can improve our abilities and master any skill.
How to Turn On the Juice
I learned the hard way that iteration alone isn’t enough.
Simply repeating something doesn’t make you better because you might repeat the same mistake repeatedly. You also need to follow expert instructions.
For example, when playing chess, I kept practicing the same incorrect opening technique without realizing it until I took classes with Mesgen Amanov, a grandmaster from Turkmenistan, who showed me the correct way.
The spark that triggers the iteration machine roaring to life is deliberate practice.
Deliberate practice makes sure you get better with each session. Iteration merely repeats an activity over and over. The concept was first introduced in a 1993 paper by Ericsson and two colleagues.
In the paper, they described their research into the role of “deliberate practice” in the success of violin students. He studied the difference between experts and average performers and found that intense practice and working with an excellent teacher was the key to proficiency.
In a nutshell, consistent but conscientious, well-informed repetition over time allows people to become proficient and eventually excel at an activity.
The Magic of Iteration
Iteration with deliberate practice brings a variety of wonderful benefits:
- It strengthens muscle memory.
- It deepens understanding of concepts and improves problem-solving abilities.
- It confers impressive levels of knowledge and skill.
- It allows you to become increasingly more proficient in your chosen activity.
- It leads to creative insights as you discover more efficient ways of doing something.
- It fosters resilience and grit as you persist through difficulty and challenges.
The 4 Basics Steps for Skill-Building or Habit Formation
1. Decide
The first step to mastering something is figuring out what it is.
It could be playing guitar or coding. Or getting up early, exercising, organizing your workspace, or becoming a better writer.
When you consistently work towards mastering something, no matter what, you’ll prove to yourself that anything is possible.
Mastering any skill or habit requires setting realistic goals and taking consistent action.
Progress is always better than perfection.
2. Schedule
Mastery requires a realistic schedule.
If it’s too ambitious, you may feel overwhelmed and discouraged. On the other hand, if your schedule leaves too much free time, you may find yourself procrastinating and not making meaningful progress.
Finding the right balance is the key to achieving mastery.
Block off a certain amount of time daily to work on mastering your chosen skill or habit. It’ll create a sense of familiarity and structure, which can serve as powerful motivators.
3. Practice
Mastering any skill or habit takes deliberate practice. It’s all about focusing on specific elements of a skill or habit you want to improve, then practicing them.
Practice each component until you’ve mastered it, then break it into manageable chunks. You can also refine your skills by getting feedback from mentors and other reliable sources.
Deliberate practice takes dedication and focus; you’ll get closer to mastery if done consistently.
4. Rinse & Repeat
Repetition and consistent practice over time are the keys to mastering something.
In spite of the fact that it may seem like nothing is happening at the moment, you’re moving closer to mastery each day if you keep working hard.
Nothing worthwhile happens overnight, but anything is possible with commitment and determination.
Don’t give up when things get tough. Put in the time and effort, and eventually, you’ll succeed.
An Example of Someone Crushing it
A passionate online entrepreneur, personal growth coach, and top writer, Sinem Günel knows how to make it happen.
Her mission is to empower introverts to share their truths online. She’s an inspiring example of someone who’s taken control of their life by following the principle of consistent and never-ending action.
Despite starting as a clueless writer, she transformed herself into one of the most popular Medium writers with passion and focus over the years.
Decide to Excel at Something You Love
The ideas outlined here can help you get world-class at something.
Learn from successful people. Practice what they recommend with intention. Gradually improve.
Your goals will slowly become a reality if you’re dedicated and persistent.
Believe in yourself and never give up — anything, including an extraordinary life, is possible.
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