Give Yourself A Gift

One of the best gifts a Super Achiever can give themselves is to give the gift of permission to be bad at something. What kind of gift is that? 

Super Achievers tend to error in thinking that everything they do must be perfect. It's nothing but the best for them. If they are not the best, they don't want to participate. 

That thinking quickly puts you on the path to mediocracy. Because the facts are, no one starts out being good at anything. 

There is always a beginning. The moment you decide to make your life the best it can be is the moment you realize just how bad you are. 

The Finish Line

Many times, deciding to master anything starts with the image of what it's like when we cross the finish line. Imagine being a winner, a champion, the best is what floods our minds. We want to be in the limelight. The finish line is where we want to be. 

The stark truth smacks us in the face as soon as we decide to go for it. When we actually get started, it takes only a few seconds to realize that our performance is far from what it looks like at the finish line. 

The reality is that we are so far from where we want to be that most people simply either give up altogether, or shoot for some a bit easier. This is when we realize just how bad we are. 

Give Yourself A Gift

Here is the point of decision. Are you willing to be bad at something in order to get better? 

Give yourself a gift. The gift is permission to be bad for a while. Admit to yourself that it is OK to be bad for a while in order to get better. Take the pressure of perfectionism off your shoulders for a moment. Give yourself permission to be bad. 

Beginnings can be challenging because everything seems so foreign at first. The newness is in full effect. The new activity, the new work schedule, the new technique or skill you are attempting, can seem overwhelming at first. 

Decide to take it easy on yourself, until you develop some level of mastery. There will be moments of progress, but at the beginning it can seen like nothing but hard work. 

Perfection Takes Time​

Nothing builds perfection but time. Doing anything well is a growth process. That process needs the magic ingredient of time. Maybe more time than we anticipated. 

Before you get started, make a mental note that doing anything well will take a lot of time to perfect. To be honest, no one knows exactly how long you'll need to move from bad to good. But you will need plenty of time for sure. 

Use Adjusted Repetition

There is no magic formula for getting better. It is simple. Practice what you want to perfect. Practice means repeating an act over and over again. Sometimes for hours upon hours. 

But repetition for repetitions' sake is not what makes you better. Because you can repeat the wrong thing over and over again, and actually get good at the wrong thing. 

The answer is practicing adjusted repetition. It is simply making a minor improvement after each repetition.  Author, Geoff Colvin, in his book, "Talent is Overrated", describes this process as "deliberate practice".  You intentionally focus on one area to improve, each time you practice. 

Repeat the process of adjusted improvement, and there is no way you cannot get better. It's a guaranteed way to master whatever it is you want.  

Try This ​Formula

Want to become the best you can be with what ever it is you want to master? Try this formula on for size. 

Distinguish in your mind what your finish line looks like. To get to that finish line, know that it will takes plenty of time to go from beginning to end. 

Then, get started knowing that your initial attempts are not going to be very good. In fact, give yourself permission to be terrible at first. 

Then, determine to practice repeatedly the endeavor you want to perfect. Learn to make slight improvements with every repetition. 

Keep practicing, and over time you will surely get better. How much better is up to you and your willingness to continue to practice.   

Hopefully, you will never stop getting better and better.