1. Specific Goals
Goal-setting is everything, and most people do it wrong. “I want to be a champion” isn’t a goal, it’s a dream. Try, “I want to improve a aspect of skill today”. Specific goals will change your life.
2. Stun your environment
Skill development comes at the intersection of the comfort zone and your limitations. By shocking your environment thoughtfully, you can simultaneously improve your skills without completely shattering your comfort zone.
3. Practice in public
For martial arts, this means competing. For writing, this means publishing. Practicing in public is the ultimate way to test your skills and get a better idea of where you’re really at.
4. Quit
Don’t quit the thing you’re trying to improve at, quit everything else that is of no use to you and your skill development. Quit bad relationships, quit draining jobs, and quit your bad habits. Quit things that drain your energy.
5. Teach other people
When I started teaching, I didn’t get paid for it. However, the benefits I received from my early teaching was that I learned how I learn. Learning to teach helped me teach myself how to learn better.
6. Rest
Burnout is very real, and it’s where skill development goes to die. Relax Take a break. Take a mental vacation every once in a while. The grind will always be there. If you never take time to chill, you’ll struggle to keep up with the pace of improvement.
7. Read and write about your skill
Writing is organized thought. Reading is the study of someone else’s organized thought. The more you study, the more you can absorb. Just remember to rest your mind too every now and again.
8. Learn yourself
Self-awareness is a bit of a doozy for some people, but if you want to get better faster, it’s a requirement. You need to know where you are in order to get better faster.
9. Micro-drilling
I’ve been using micro-drilling to improve my BJJ technique and headline writing for a year now, and it’s changed my life. Micro-drilling is the isolated repetition and “drilling” of a specific technique or concept within a larger domain. This is the “grind” of skill development. Periodic grinding is good for you.
10. Enjoy yourself
At the end of the day, all of the learning we do doesn’t change the fact that our time on this earth is limited. If you struggle with the concept of your own mortality and your own limitations, you’ll also struggle with the abundance mindset that can help propel you in skill development. This sounds corny, but it’s true: the memories you make are just as important as the stuff you learn.
Inspired By Anonymous
As Always Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh
