I used to live my life thinking
that when I grew up, I would be able to handle the world. I would take it by the
strings and be able to be the person I wanted to be without any effort.
However, when I did open my eyes, there was a little bit of a rude awakening as
I tried to grapple with myself and how I fit in with a competitive and sometimes
cruel world. This is a classic coming of
age tale where the young girl gets a taste of reality and has to figure herself
out. Instead of dwelling on how lost and confused I was, I want to instead
focus on the flip side. My intention is advice.
To help one get from this stage to that of someone more established and
prepared. This can, in turn, help to enhance not only one’s own life, but of
those around you. I like to think of it in three parts: personal
projects, recognizing negative habits, and exceeding personal limits.
In my
third year of college I took a class that really tried me. My professor was so
amazing at what he did and his talent would be hard to deny. I became
overwhelmed at the skill level needed to excel in the class until something he
said really stuck with me. It was not very significant in of itself and all of us have
most likely heard it in one way or another, but it changed my perspective.
It is common knowledge and common
sense that if you want to become good at something, you work at it. He simply
stated that there is no reason to not be great. You have so much and no matter
where you are there is always someone out there who has less. There are many resources
that surround us that we can use to excel. These resources may include mentors,
role models or talents. He said use what you have and never stop doing. Any
free time you have can be time used to work on a personal project.
My professor shared, from personal
experience, that he started out doing something that everyone thought was
pointless and continued to cultivate that talent. Now it “pays his bills” and
allows him to help others. The same principle applies to any area of skill that
you want to enhance. Find that wasted time and make it useful! Cultivate one
craft or skill and then move on to the next. I saw a physical manifestation of
a well-rounded individual in the form of my thirty something professor and it
gave me hope that greatness can actually start small.
If you
are constantly managing your time and making sure that you are practicing in a
focused area, a hindrance can be those long standing habits that can prevent you
from progress. One habit I have, for example, would be assuming I can make up
for effort later and wait now. It’s like the counter to smart investing. You
assume that you can start investing, putting little bits away into 401k later,
when you don’t have as many bills or debts. Unfortunately, your investments
double over time. Therefore, if you wait you have less later down the road. This,
in turn, can cause you to end up with insufficient money after life drains you,
to live comfortably down the road. If you do not make every effort to be great
now, you may not have the time, resources, or capabilities later when they are
going to make a difference. “Invest” in yourself now and delete anything that
will prevent you from personal success and the stumbling blocks will reduce
from internal and external pressure to mostly external. As a result of self-management,
you can trust yourself and then deal with what comes your way easier.
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