01/12/2020
Do you want to become a true master of your craft? To have the type of skill people can’t help but notice, and respect? I’ve discovered a 4-step formula to mastering *any* skill. Should you follow it, I believe your success is guaranteed:
1. IMMERSION - You must live + breathe your skill nearly all hours of the day. For my first 3 years learning marketing, I listened not to music in my car… only marketing programs! At lunch I would read a marketing book during the eating of my food.
2. APPLICATION - You must DO your skill, at least 5 days a week! For many years, I was a chronic “work avoider”. My mentor Eben challenged me to write 10 pages a day - he promised me a raise if I could do it, for 6 months. I got the raise, but much more valuable thing I got was the CHOPS only earned by application.
3. MENTORSHIP - Going at it on your own is never as fast as with a teacher. Get lessons, join a mastermind group, or find someone to apprentice you. Better yet, get a job doing it, at a place where you will be working under people better than you, even for low pay. This gets you the double benefit of immersion + mentorship. (E.g. Entry-level writers at Golden Hippo get paid to mentor under my copy chiefs and I.)
4. TIME - Doing things 1-3 will ensure your success at whatever it is you want to do. However, ONLY if you are willing to put in the time! How long? Gary Vaynerchuk did his wine show for 2 years before anyone really began watching. Sheryl Crow was an elementary school music teacher until she “broke out” at age 31.
For me, it was 6 months at my first job before my writing was good enough to show to customers. Then 3 years before I could write “front end” copy that brought in customers
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there, and get moving! Immerse yourself. Find a great mentor, or place to get paid to learn. But remember, you can’t get good by only watching vids or being coached or reading books. DO YOUR DAMN THING! At least 5x a week. Go long enough, and you WILL become GREAT
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