Be an expert at your craft

One of Tim Ferriss’ favorite questions to ask his podcast guests is “what would you say you’re world class at?” and the answer is often surprising. A professional athlete, for example, may say they are able to envision the future before it happens and not some obvious physical skillset. A business titan, rather than tout their negotiation or risk mitigation skills, might say they are an expert listener. I think this shows that while we may build our careers around a particular niche or focus, it is often a set of non-obvious attributes, developed over time, that lead to outsized success. The happiest among us often have a relentless focus on learning and perfecting their craft over years and decades, relishing in the understanding that perfection will never come.

In our modern age, it seems that while certain once-respected trades like plumber or electrician are no longer thought of as desirable (although there is absolutely no reason they shouldn’t be), there is a new wave of people aiming to become respected craftsmen and women in their own right. A software developer with a solid foundation can take their career in many different directions, from app development to AI to big data among other disciplines. Designers and creatives now have many opportunities, from startups that are looking to make their mark to legacy brands that need to reinvent themselves. More and more people are striking out on their own to build their own brand, diversify their income streams and/or live location independent lifestyles. In my opinion, there has never been as much opportunity to educate oneself, obtain work that provides valuable hands-on training, and eventually become an expert resource within a given field.

A common thread that runs through the biographies of many successful people, from Phil Knight to Elon Musk is that they enjoyed the journey of building their companies more than they did after becoming hugely sucessful. You hear many people in their later years, especially the most content, say that constantly learning new skills kept them young throughout their lives. I think one of the secrets happiness is to be consistently learning and improving (hence the title of this blog). Learning can take on many forms and be absorbed via many different sources. Books obviously provide the easiest and most immediate access to a wealth of knowledge. Learning from those around you, from colleagues to family to friends to random strangers in a bar, can lead to unexpected breakthroughs. Hands-on experience gained through trial and error is always invaluable.

Mistakes can provide one of the most impactful forms of knowledge and learning. I remember one of the biggest mistakes I made in my career. There was an adjustment to a media campaign that required a change within a piece of software that was my responsibility. I missed an email and it ended up costing the company over $75,000 and the individual salesperson their commission. Initially, I was mortified and felt like a possum cornered in a dark alley with no way out. I wanted to blame anyone and everyone but myself: the email wasn’t clear, no one reminded me, anyone could have made the same mistake. Ultimately, I took ownership of what happened and vowed never to let anything like that happen again. I immediately created a set of processes and visual checks and balances to give me a birds-eye view of everything going on. I established weekly face to face meetings to review each piece of business and get everyone on the same page. I developed a method of filtering and processing emails to ensure nothing was missed I can honestly say this single mistake - which felt fatal at the time - altered the course of my professional career for the better.

By definition, getting outside your comfort zone is not fun. However, it is by far one of the most impactful ways of learning and growing. There are many things I abhor doing, from speaking in front of large groups to making small talk with strangers. My gut reaction when presented with these situations is to avoid them at all costs. This is easy to do. What’s harder is to say yes, embrace discomfort and remind yourself of the power of a “growth mindset.” Every time you put yourself in a challenging position and find that it isn’t quite as dreadful as you imagined it to be, you will be stronger and better prepared the next time. I like to think of this as practice makes better.

At the end of the day it doesn’t matter whether you are a lawyer or a salesperson or an investment banker or the owner of a boutique retail store. Focus on the journey and become someone who truly takes pride in their work. Try to get a little better each day. If you do this, success and fulfillment are all but guaranteed.