Better Than Before
Trust me, I’m an expert!
While it sounds good in concept, this is a title that a vast majority of us will never truly attain. And admittedly, it is one that I personally feel is best served and “achieved” (in a matter of speaking) by striving for self-improvement. To that end, it is a matter of consistent practice and effort. On an interesting note is the following statement from an article published in the Harvard Business Review entitled The Making of an Expert:
Consistently and overwhelmingly, the evidence showed that experts are always made, not born.
This aligns with my belief in making your own luck, and further removes validation of others to discard the efforts made by those deemed successful as nothing more than luck. While this may be a means of making ourselves feel better for our current station in life, it simply is not true. To emphasize my point, here are a couple excerpts from the book The Leader Who Had No Title, by Robin Sharma:
Lucky people don’t get lucky. Lucky people create lucky. And they do this by taking bold risks and seizing excellent opportunities.
Lucky breaks are nothing more than unexpected rewards for intelligent choices we’ve chosen to make. Success doesn’t just happen because someone’s stars line up. Success, both in business and personally, is something that’s consciously created.
With this shift in mindset, luck truly is a matter of putting in the work and being available and prepared when the opportunity presents itself.
Now back to the topic of pursuing expertise…
In the previously referenced Harvard Business Review article, it was concluded through research that it took even the most gifted individuals a minimum of ten years (or 10,000 hours) of intense training before they achieved greatness. In some fields the apprenticeship is longer, for example most elite musicians spend 15 to 25 years of steady practice, on average, before they succeed at the international level.
What does this have to do with nutrition, or optimizing health?
The ability exists within each of us to achieve goals and desires that seem out of reach. It might come down to simply focusing on smaller habits that make you better than before or having an eye on winning each day. The unfortunate truth is that for many of us, we not only disbelieve we can, but we also fail to put in the time required to do so. And sure, most of us (myself included) may never achieve the status of expert but that shouldn’t deter you from realizing your full potential. I encourage you to take ownership over your health and wellness. Look not to excuses for past shortcomings but with an eye towards the future and better than before. You will be amazed at just how much you can accomplish through consistent effort and accountability. Like the experts I have referenced, you need to put in the work.
Transform
- Transform your thinking – Shift from an I can’t to an I can mindset and approach.
- Transform your efforts and intention – Ask yourself, Am I really doing all that I can in this situation?
- Transform your life – Through conscious effort, and showing up each day, you will greatly increase the chances of success and push closer to any goal you set. Just know it will take work and at times be uncomfortable.
I believe you can, the question is do you?
Cited Sources –
Harvard Business Review:
https://hbr.org/2007/07/the-making-of-an-expert
The Leader Who Had No Title, by Robin Sharma
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1439109133/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_P3vADbM1XQCAE
