According to Kandinsky, everything starts with a dot. But no one can come up with a million dollar painting or business idea or novel without serious practice and determination. Experience has shown that talent without persistence has not too much value. Only when people gain the ability to stick with something, they learn how to achieve any set goal.
But how to do it?
There are days when the motivation to develop our skills and confidence skyrockets and there are many others when it’s just gone. At first, we can’t wait to go home and grab the guitar, or read those books on photography, or take that great free course on entrepreneurship. On the other hand, there are the times when we would do anything just to avoid practicing.
This is normal because any new skill can feel overwhelming. Think like this: Rome wasn’t built in a day. Yet every day they built something.
In the same way, it takes some time to learn and master a new skill.
At first, it is important to know your limits. Is your goal achievable? Let’s say that someone wants to be a pilot astronaut but he/she cannot meet the specific physical requirements. In such case, something else would be a better option.
Second, it is also necessary to know how much time it will take to learn and master that new skill.
Third, how much are you going to need that given skill? Everything you learn is an investment and it takes time and efforts. Do you plan to learn something that is going to help with your school or career or is it just a passion thing?
When these three questions are answered, it is easier to start. But be careful, because the start is a tricky part. The problem isn’t that it can be a bad start. On the contrary, it doesn’t matter. The problem is that it can be focused on an unreasonable goal. Remember the first sentence of this article. Kandinsky's dot can turn into a lot of things and something good may come out of it. It must.
But when you plan to turn the dot into a novel at the click of a finger, there is the risk of getting confused during the process and losing sight of the final goal. On the other hand, you can start with small goals that are easier to achieve. This way it is possible to keep the eyes on the prize and improve yourself more every time you practice.
In order to stick with the new skill you have to:
Search for guidance. There are a lot of people that would love to share an advice or evaluate your progress.
Be patient. Nothing happens overnight. It can take a month or a lifetime.
Be humble. Remember when you learn something, you know that something and not everything. Be like Socrates because you have a loooot to learn.
Stay positive and motivated. There isn’t much to say about these two. They keep the things going.
These tips work for everyone, no matter if you’re mastering the piano or business skills. We at Youth Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition can help you with the second.
Photo credit: pixabay
