A key part of mastering something is practice.
As children we understand this concept as we try time and time again to do the perfect cartwheel, learn to ride a bike, catch a ball or master a popular dance move.
As we get older, we recognize and appreciate mastery in others, and will often choose to step aside to allow other experts to show the way.
Although I am a big believer in recognizing and playing to people’s strengths and working to your own, it worries me to see so many adults defer or give up before they have given something new their best shot. A best shot can mean quality of preparation and at least a solid period of dedication in learning and putting into practice.
In Malcolm Gladwell’s book “The Outliers – The Story of Success”, he introduces the 10,000 hour rule.
The basic premise is that it takes 10,000 hours of dedication to your craft or skill before you are likely to really master or become a “superstar” at it. He also adds, to be a true Outlier, it probably takes 10,000 hours plus talent and a timing opportunity before you really make it into the Outlier league (those that truly stand apart from the rest of the high achievers).
The more involved I am in successful businesses or with people who have achieved success, the more the pattern for success and mastery of something is evident. And it is not just spending time (or 10,000 hours) working on something. It is more their approach. An approach based on continuous feedback, learning, finessing, trying and applying.
Stories shared by successful people often have the same theme: they tried, they learned, they applied their new skills, they tried again, and applied their learnings, until eventually they mastered what they set out to do.
Even when they achieved what they first set out to do, they went back to the same cycle of try>apply>fly to reach new heights.
Yes, they experienced fear. Yes, they experienced failure (often many times), but they all had the approach of continuing to try and not giving up until they succeeded.
Seems like an easy lesson for each of us.
You need to be happy to continuously Try and Apply to really Fly!