Try, Suck, Master
Damn it. I’m 3 weeks late on my newsletter. I guess life happens sometimes, right? It’s hard to be consistent day in, day out. Especially when it comes to creative pursuits with nobody breathing down your neck. Especially during the summer when I rather be running outside in the sunshine or having a beer with my buddies.
Why is consistency so damn hard for us? Why doesn’t my mind WANT me to go to the gym? What is that constant friction I feel when all I have to do is open Google Docs and start moving my fingers? Ugh.
Anyways, speaking of consistency- I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how to get good at new things [hint, consistency is the key]
In a time when it can feel like each day is one long, endless scroll- it's SO SO important to try new things even if you’re not good at them at first [which is 99.9% of people on Earth].
I can’t be the only one that’s looked around lately and said- I can be trying so many more things. In fact, LinkedIn just put out a study that over half of Americans feel “underutilized”.
What’s the solution you might ask? Start that newsletter you’ve been thinking about launching. Go to a Toastmasters session even if you’re dripping in sweat from the nerves. Mess around with coding even though you have no idea what you’re doing.
Use AI [GPT, Claude, Gemini] in 100 different ways. Just poke stuff and see what happens. What’s the alternative? The status quo. Nothing changes. It’s all upside baby!
I’m bad at a lot of things. What I've learned is that there’s a system for getting good at almost anything if you’re excited enough to stick with it.
It goes something like this
1) Try new thing a few times- a “Just Do It” mindset- thanks Nike!
2) Focus on getting better at thing
3) Seek community around thing
1. Just Make it Exist
Say you’re trying to learn golf. Or start a new job. Or write your first newsletter.
How insane would it be to expect to drive the ball 300 yards on your first swing? Be the top performer at work in your first week? Write an award winning newsletter on your first draft?
That’s just not how the universe works. Instead, focus on just getting out there and showing up.
You’d be shocked at how just showing up already puts you above so many others that talk about doing things but never end up even giving it a go.
What’s the price you have to pay to get started? It’s probably embarrassment or judgement from other people. Why? Cause you think you have to be good at something to do it.
You don’t.
Just do it.
2. Polish the Stone
Ever heard of the 80-20 rule? 80% of results happen because of 20% of actions.
Imagine one night you cook a huge Italian dinner for a group of friends.
You’re spending hours slinging pasta, salad, tiramisu, chicken cutlets, garlic bread, the works. At the end of the dinner you slaved over, 80% of your guests rave about one thing….the garlic bread you made. That’s what they’re going to remember.
Something that took 20% or less of your effort generated 80% of the positive outcome.
Super weird example but it’s applicable to almost every area of life. The stock market [7 stocks in the S&P 500 drive almost all the growth] is another classic example.
Where am I going with this? When you start showing up consistently to whatever new thing you’re trying, naturally your next step is wanting to get better at it.
Remember the 80/20 rule and focus on the important 20% that is really worth getting good at to drive almost all of the results. Focus on mastering those things. The rest takes care of itself.
3. Seek Help
In order to really get good at something and take it to the next level, you need to be around other people doing that thing as well. It sounds like common sense but it’s amazing how many people isolate themselves in their homes instead of going outside their door and building a community.
Studies show that doing activities with others slows mental decline and improves cognition. It also [typically] improves performance.
The easiest way to get better at something is to be around people who are better at that thing than you. It’s true in the professional world- sales instantly comes to mind. It definitely holds true in sports- think about how hard Olympians push themselves around the best in the world.
Iron sharpens iron, or something like that.
Constantly putting ourselves in a room with people better than us is how we get better.
LMK what you think- in my mind, this is a foolproof 3 step process for getting good at pretty much anything you want to try.
First you just give it a go. Second you work intentionally to improve. Third you build community around you.
