Pursuit of perfection helps in attaining excellence. Getting better at a skill or activity takes dedication and decisiveness. Consistent people achieve more as compared to talented ones. The optimal state of performance is known as flow. When a person is able to make fast connection between acquired knowledge and incoming information, the final product of their endeavours is like watching an artist in action.
In a world full of distraction, it is difficult to find people who are on top of their game. Have you ever wondered why we pay to watch sportsmen and artists? Or why some chefs get queues outside their restaurants? Most of us can play a sport or two with certain degree of competence, while a select few know how to play a musical instrument. Have you ever wondered what makes us devote time and money to watch someone else perform? As a species, humans applaud and reward excellence. In short, we are compensating the performer to catch a glimpse of them while they are in their flow.
One Step at a Time
Nurturing genetic talent is an art. A person’s personality doesn’t scale, biology does. Some can draw better, while others can run faster. It takes years of practice and discipline to make the brush talk and surpass the limits of human capability. Whenever talent, dedication, and opportunity align, the practitioner of a skill attains flow. Human brain is rarely at rest. Multitasking is seen as the passport to success in life. People who are at the pinnacle of their profession, single-mindedly devote all their waking hours to just one thing.
Let us take the example of a tennis player who has a single-handed backhand. While watching a slow-motion video of a shot played by a top-ranked professional tennis player, experts can deconstruct it in great detail. What may seem like just another shot to the spectators, may be the result of approximately twenty intricate and interconnected steps. The mastery of each step makes the execution and final result look effortless.
Resolve to Evolve
Scarcity is the biggest contributor to evolution of life on Earth. Whosoever learns to make the natural forces to work in their favour, outperform peers, predecessors, and ancestors. Motivation provides the grit to become productive, whereas creativity steers the performance. Flow is known to amplify results. Since the beginning of time, all forms of life, including humans, have survived and evolved on Earth by three ways: fight, flee or collaborate. In each of these steps, flow is essential.
Get Rid of Victim Mentality
If you constantly feel that life is just happening and don’t remember the last time when you did something consciously and / or willingly, it is time to get rid of victim mindset. It is convenient to blame circumstances after unfavourable results. Anyone who has made a name for themselves, has done it by working upon things that are in their control; the external forces are equal for everyone. Repeating actions which brought success to others does not guarantee same results.
Generalists are good stop-gap alternatives, but experts with narrow and deep skillset command a premium for their contribution. As long as you feel like a victim of circumstances, your psychology and neurology will create hindrances for your biology. Eventually, you will be nowhere close to inherent capability.
Promise and Purpose
Checklist has gained importance and acceptance after proving effectiveness in the field of medicine and manufacturing. Making a checklist is like making a promise to self. Breaking a promise made to self can be extremely unsettling and can easily erase all hope of achieving success in life. Passion is just another seven-letter word if it’s not pursued with purpose. Work on the hard stuff first and leave nothing to chance. Also, be extremely mindful while transitioning from one task to another. Do your bit, and wait for it!