Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Deliberate Improvement

I just read an amazing article by Orrin Woodward. He was writing about something that he has taught and lived for several years. I feel so blessed to follow such a great man. He sets such a phenomenal example for those that want greatness out of their life and are in the constant pursuit of excellence.
Orrin referenced Malcolm Gladwells’s book the Outliers. Gladwell states that a person needs 10,000 hours of continuous improvement to master you skill. Now, anyone can master a skill, there have been studies done that talent is not more powerful that someone working towards excellence.
Orrin also talked about making a declaration to read three books a month on personal development, two to three audios per day and attending events moving him forward in his industry. You might be better off reading the article on your own. It is not a guess he is mega successful. It was not an accident. He did this deliberately.
The thing I learned is I do not know anyone besides an Orrin Woodward or a few of my mentors that are constantly checking their goals, progress and actions and continuously stretching their comfort zones.
I try to think back to my cross country days in high school and years later I know I could have tried harder. I am not giving any excuses, I know I could have done better. I could have pushed myself harder. My level to do well and be excellent was there enough to help my team go to the state finals, but not good enough to stand up as a top 10 finisher.
I cannot undo that. But I can learn from that. I can improve and move forward deliberately every day.
I have read this information several times, but tonight, this night, it has made an impact on me.
To get better and live life to the fullest, one must constantly strive to do the work, check that work, set a new stretch goal and keep going.
Besides the business I am in, I cannot think of anything I have done that with in my entire life. 30 years of life. I can think of only one skill I have tried to master and I can do more, I can get better. I feel like I am really starting to grasp some laws of success. The great news is learning is exponential and I feel those increases almost daily now.
No one can blame the lack of their success on others. Success is up to that person.
Earl Nightingale said in The Strangest Secret, when you get really good at what you do and try really hard, you will notice you won’t have much competition. That is a sad fact; the majority of people are comfortable. The more I learn, the less I want to be comfortable. Many people go through the same doldrums every day and wonder why they don’t have their bills paid off, wonder why they still have a mortgage, wonder why those car payments are so hard to make, wonder, wonder, wonder.
There is a better question to ask yourself. Where am I? Am I living my purpose? Can I do more?
Success is available to everyone. The only unfortunate fact is; it is probably going to take some unfortunate incident in your life to realize that.
How can you master the skill you want to skill? First decide what it is you want to get good at. Define success with that. And learn from those that have done the same. And do that which the successful have practiced.
I learned that from Robert Kiyosaki and the Cashflow Quadrant. Another priceless book. God bless, Nicholas Nighbor

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