The only way to become good at something

The Only Way To Become Good At Something digitalbloggers.com /business/the-only-way-to-become-good-at-something Jan 10, 2017 57 views Written by Sergei VanBellinghen

Author Sergei VanBellinghen Articles written: 96 Joined: 23 September 2016 Niche: Internet and Businesses Online Reference and Education Self Improvement

Countless times, you will see books in stores showing you how to “master” a skill in only 1 month, 1 week or 1 day … Every so often, I see crash courses for really anything, from being a cooking chef to becoming an expert in martial arts. I have even noticed videos stating that a new ability could be taught in only a couple hours.

What is this deplorable absurdity? And why are people in such hurry?

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Well, we live in a world where most companies make false promises, from having an instant cure for everything to getting the life we desire within a snap of our fingers. The worse part about this is that many people do believe it possible while only a very few want to make the effort to acquire it the old and hard way.

No wonder why most people are out of patience and want it all NOW. Everybody wants instant abilities, be a master at a skill they know nothing about in a short time or quickly be better than other people who have years and years of experience.

Sadly, friend, the reality is completely the opposite and there is no magic wand. The only way to become the best at something is in 4 Steps.

4 Steps to Become the Best at Something.

1. You must learn the skill by reading everything about it. Listen to others who do have the experience and find a mentor. But most of all, you need to do it again and again, by that I mean the word many of you don’t like: “practicing”.

2. Then “practice” some more. As you keep going, you will begin to understand your craft, but you will not be good at it yet. This phase can take months or years depending on your learning capacity.

3. After that - you are really going to hate me - “practice” some more. And so after a few years, you will get to a point where you are good at it, even becoming an authority in your field or building your brand. But it will not yet make you an expert.

4. After this, your next step is to “practice” some more. But if you are able to learn from your blunders, and aren’t worry about making mistakes and take them as stepping stones towards expertise, you will go from pretty good to expert.

For almost any craft, it can take at least anywhere from 5-10 years to get to be good or a real expert at something, depending on what kind of craft, and how often and how much you do practice it.

Master your Craft Most masters consider that it takes at least 10,000 hours or more to be good at something, but even longer to be an expert or the best. I believe that it varies on the learning skills and abilities one has, as well as particular factors, but it also depends on the person as we are all different.

You want to be the best at what? Music, martial arts, business, marketing …

It may be possible to master something within a few years, if you have some specific abilities, but the most persistent people I know, as well as I, are doing it for 10 years or more and are day in and day out keeping on learning to better themselves.

Don’t try to attain perfection or be the “best”, or you will never be satisfied but try to learn to excel or master your craft and success will come on its own.

You still learning, to this day, and you will still be learning for the rest of your life.

There is No Escape.

I have been writing for many years privately but professionally, it has only been a year, and I am only becoming a competent writer. You have to do, practice, make mistakes, learn, begin to understand your craft, and one day, if you are persistent and consistent, you will be an expert, and why not, the best.

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I do not know anyone who is great at his craft and who hasn’t been consistently active and doing it for at least 5 years. No business person, no entrepreneur, no martial artist, no veterinary, no surgeon, no mentor, no artist, and no athlete I know.

Do you get the point I am trying to make?

Now, I dare you to name one person. Do you think a Mozart, Beethoven, Einstein, etc. didn’t practice? They all had been doing it for years, over 10-20 years, and kept doing it to improve each day.

To be the best takes commitment, desire, drive, persistence, daily consistence, lots and lots of practicing and doing.

Have Fun and Love what you do.

I am not trying to discourage you but I am telling to have fun, like you did when you started, and not worry about the competition. If you love what you do, then success will come your way inevitably.

When you love your craft, you want to do it all the time, at times late into the night and other times you wake up with the desire to do it before anything else.

That is how you become the best at something. By loving it so much that everything else gets in second place.

“There is no such thing as a great talent without great willpower.” – Honore de Balzac So do it, and practice it. Don’t believe any book or video that tells you they can teach you to master a craft in hours or days. They just want one thing, your money.

Keep doing it and continue practicing, then be consistent each day. That is the only way to be good at something, but if others can do it, you can too. It just takes some time and yes, practice!

Share your thoughts below.

Sergei VanBellinghen, Founder & CEO of First-Class Lifestyle and sergeivanbellinghen.com, Success & Self-Improvement Coach, Freedom entrepreneur & business partner of Stuart Ross, also counselor in East Europe-West relationships, a passionate Globetrotter and an avid audio booker

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