How do you become the best?
There is one common thread that runs through most (if not all) of the people who are the best at what they do. Malcolm Gladwell famously stated in his book Outliers that it takes about 10,000 hours to master anything. As an average, I have no problem agreeing with that statement.
If being the best is important to you, you must practice your craft everyday. If I take a few days off from writing I get rusty. I’ve written four books, thousands of blog post and articles. I’m still far from a master writer.
I’ve certainly earned my 10,000 hours in the field of photography. I can pick up a camera and a create a strong image will little thought. The barrier to master writing is higher than photography. I may never master writing. Yet, if I want my writing to come close, I must write everyday. To take my photography to the next level, develop my skill as a creative photographic thought leader — I must use my camera every day. At one time I did photograph everyday and it showed in my work. My regular practice gave me strong creative photography skills. Still, these days I don’t take the time to photograph daily. So, being the best photographer in my specialty is not a realistic goal, at this point in my life.
This is why trying to professionally practice too many skills at one time makes you average. You must have a core talent. Develop complementary skills over time to keep your enthusiasm and separate yourself from the competition.
You can’t let life get in the way. It’s not an excuse. You have the same amount of time as everyone else in the world. Twenty-four hours a day. If you want to be the best you must figure out how to make practicing your craft an everyday reality. If you don’t, don’t ask why it’s not working.
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