Hi, again!
Today's topic is one of my all time favorites: How to be really 'good' at what you do. Now, I know what you're thinking: Well, this is a stupid topic. I mean, everyone knows you have to prepare yourself, be it educationally, or else by obtaining the proper professional training, or by aligning yourself with a really great mentor who will at least tolerate your presence as you glean from him or her as they go about their glorious careers, making others' efforts appear to be nothing more than ant-like activity in comparison.
But that's not what I mean. I happen to believe that more people have the capability to be 'good' at things than most people even know of themselves. The key here is that laziness can nullify capacity. You may be brilliant: but if you don't do anything that demonstrates that brilliance, then you really don't know whether or not that suspicion of greatness was correct. Likewise, many who have thought themselves to be lacking of any real talent (take Albert Einstein, for instance), have gone on to change the world through their raw tenacity.
And this is where I come to a very important point about how one can be really 'good' at what one dones (career-wise): Even if you do something relatively well, the challenge is not to do it the first time, or even the second time. The challenge that presents itself to the doer is the follow-through. Often one will find that the most difficult part, the most tenuous aspect of doing anything that one aspires to set themselves apart by doing well, is sustaining that same level of performance, even as the challenges become greater and more frequent, and as temptation to slack off or relax the level of attention increases.
A word of caution is in order, here: Do not give in to it. What makes one 'good' at something is just that: the ability to do a thing with a consistency about their work, and an ability to adapt to a variety of external stimuli without compromising the quality of your product. To the extent that you are able to do this relatively well, you have succeeded. If not, maybe what you think is your strong suit is nothing more than something that you are, simply, 'proficient' at doing...Not my intention to burst anyone's bubble but one cannot ignore the fact that there may be some things that you do that are "forgettable" while other things may prove to become signature moments for you - no matter how much more time you spent doing that "forgettable" (but important) task! Using this as a rough and dirty assessment tool (or rather, measuring stick), one could call this a person's natural talent. One thing is certain: It is obviously an activity that distinguishes one person's from another's efforts. If it's worth doing, you will find yourself compelled to do 'good' at what you're doing even when you're tired. Something in you will know how to detecting the errors - even through red, blood-shot eyes that are so glossed over from fatigue they are barely open. And the end result, my friend, the end result -- whether it is a masterpiece painting, or an architectural drawing that truly pushes design limits, or a meal or pastry that is simply incredible -- it speaks for itself. Because you, as the conduit for its being, have given it Life. That's when you know you are 'good' at doing something. You don't need to brag about it (first off, because you know the story behind it would be utterly embarassing, most of the time!); you just master the task, and, as the saying goes, "walk in your gift..." It will open doors for you -- if you dare to follow the path it leads you by...
Who knows: Perhaps your greatness beckons. Check yourself, and see what you are truly 'good' at.
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