Starting Over or Stepping Up

In the spirit of GROWTH there is no starting over.

What if everything was a step in the right direction- even when it doesn't work out? When you carry a mindset of training, growing, compounding, adding on, you really don't see failure and you don't see change as stopping and starting over.

Do you know it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an master? That's how Malcolm Gladwell portrays mastery in, "Outliers: The Story of Success." It's a wonderful read on what makes one person masterful and another person not.  (highly recommend)

I'm someone who has had a lot of careers for a woman in her early 40s. If I look back on what I've accomplished and what I'm focused on mastering I know the thread because I was intentional about continuing to add on to my expertise. Through various degrees, experiences, trainings and businesses I've started and succeeded in (and some not so successful), I approach each move, each shift in niche or market, each new city I relocate to, as a next step.

It's easy to slip into the mindset of, "Here I am again starting anew." This isn't the most productive mindset. It signals to your subconscious mind that you don't have the resources you already have. Cognitively you know you have experience yet when you believe you're starting over your subconscious mind goes into starting over mode. 


Instead a more productive and forward moving mindset is, "How can I leverage my skill and position my talent to continue to add on to my expertise so that I'm on track for mastery?" 


Sure some parts of change will mean starting over. 


It's not always without challenge. The key is at some point decide what you're gifted at. Take that thing and no matter where you find yourself, be it in a new job, a new business, a new relationship, a new city, and continue honing that gift, applying new skills, new levels of success, and by the 10,000th hour, you'll attain mastery.

The key to mastery is practice. 


Practice is the only constant on the path of mastery. Once you have your gift/talent clarified, and you can see in retrospect how it has shown up in most of your experiences, (sometimes it's up to you to be a little creative to find it), intentionally commit to moving forward honing that talent no matter what your next step is. 

If there is an aspect of that path that you don't like or feel you're that good at, don't be so quick to dismiss it as 'not your natural gift.'

A masterful athlete who is not strong in the abdominal's will become strong through practice and training. By becoming strong in the abs, they become better at their sport because naturally a strong core enhances all level of fitness. 

If you're not good at sales for example, it doesn't mean you can't become good at sales. If mastering another part of your business requires sales, in the beginning you have to practice sales. When you practice what you're not good at, you become better. With more time you become even better. It's the LAW of Mastery.

What's something you could clock close to 10,000 hours at so far in this lifetime? How about 4,000 hours? What about talking? How about running? A musical instrument? Gymnastics? Writing? Sales? Personal development? 

If I approached my life as stopping and starting over I'd never amass skill or mastery in anything. Instead keep the clock running and be intentional in applying your talent. Ten thousand hours isn't that far off. 

It's a decision away. 

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Live Intentionally,

Stephanie Trager, ESQ.
Business Strategist & Success Coach
Attorney, Mediator, 
s@stephanietrager.com
www.stephanietrager.com

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Author of: Soul Success: Success from the Inside Out (Fall 2015)

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