In today’s world, practically every single industry sector is saturated. With most of us being online, the pool of talent is seemingly never-ending and it can be terrifying to pursue your dreams with the fear of not being good enough. Just remember though, there is only one of you, and that is something unique you bring to the table. Despite this, it is worth getting as good as you can at a certain skill.
Whether you want to start a new career or just start a new hobby, you want to be able to master a certain skill. That can help in countless ways such as enabling you to climb the ranks in your job, start up a side hustle or even bringing you joy in your everyday life. Here are my top three tips to help you finesse your desired skill.
1. Research
Whenever you want to learn something new, it’s vital to do your research first. That’ll help you gain an understanding of whatever it is. For example, if you want to learn how to code, it’s worth gaining a bit of theoretical knowledge first before diving into the practical. This applies to pretty much any skill. Think about it, when learning how to drive, you have to pass the theory test before the practical one.
There are different ways that you can carry out research but really, it depends on the skill you are trying to learn. A quick Google search should help start you on your journey. The more you look up, the more options for research will present themselves to you.
2. Practice
Once you’ve got a clear understanding under your belt, then you can practice. The most important thing to remember is that you must practice safely, whatever skill that is. Obviously learning a martial art presents more danger than, say, knitting. If it’s a dangerous skill then it’s best to practice with someone experienced (ideally a professional).
When practicing a new skill, don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t go well to start with. That’s exactly what practice is for. If it continually doesn’t work, then you may have to adjust something in the way you’re practicing whether that’s revisiting the research you’ve done or modifying the method. After all, perfect practice makes perfect. Not just any old manner of practicing.
3. Seek guidance/feedback
Learning a new skill by yourself can feel quite intimidating but as you get better, your confidence may waiver. Yes you’ve improved, but would you class it as being “good” at that skill? This is where seeking feedback comes in handy. Communicating with others who utilise the skill you are learning, will be able to give you a pretty good indication of how good you are.
That’s not to dishearten you, but it helps to gain a different perspective at times and also will encourage you to keep moving forward. Say you’ve been focusing on one particular area of a skill, i.e. dressage in horse-riding, and then you speak to a horse trainer, they may be impressed with your flat work but may point out that your jumping needs work, or something is off balance.
Equally, others can offer you guidance if you feel a bit stuck in your learning. They can suggest on what things you can work on or ways that they practice that you can then try out.
It’s worth remembering that everyone has different ways of absorbing information. Some people prefer to read, while others prefer to hear/watch. If you’re stuck on how you can pick up a new skill, then these ways of learning may be useful for you:
Online interactive courses
YouTube Tutorials
Classes
Learning from a friend/family member