A little more loosely this week, how to get ‘better’:

How to get ‘better’, ay? My initial comment is, what do you mean by better? Better at ballet? Better at driving? Better at kicking a footy? Being a better human? It’s all a bit vague, intentionally so I see, but I’ll have a crack from a few different angles.

The next time you mess up, fall back into bad patterns, remember that simply being aware that you’re repeating the past and genuinely wanting to change is a sign of progress. Self-awareness is growth, and noticing that something is holding you back and genuinely (there’s that word again – authenticity fucking matters) deciding to change come way before some massive personal transformation. To get better, we need to commit to an inner journey – some might think that sounds fluffy, soft, but transformation needs a beginning. Some are willing to embark on this journey, others won’t be. 

Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today, and aim for that personal, incremental improvement. This kind of growth, accumulating day by day, week by week, over months and years, is gonna be huge. Compound interest, baby! You’ll slowly but surely get ‘better’ at whatever that is you’re striving to get better at.

Becoming ‘better’ at anything in life is unquestionably hard work, and it certainly doesn’t happen overnight. To genuinely improve, you first need to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Understand the root causes behind your actions and the reasons behind your desire to excel in that specific ‘thing’ (it can be deep, but it doesn’t have to be). This understanding is crucial. Once you have a clearer grasp on these motivations, brace yourself for the hard work ahead. And yes, I’m stressing this again because it’s vitally important. True growth happens when you dare to leave your comfort zone, embarking on tasks that push your boundaries and, sometimes, feel utterly uncomfortable, energy-sapping, or even painful. For example, those initial 15-20 minutes of writing can be a battle of wills, filled with resistance. Practicing for a presentation can feel like such a boring ordeal. And the repetitive attempt to nail a kick-flip, just that one move over and over again on a skateboard, can be a study in frustration. Yet, it’s crucial to understand that change, improvement, won’t come until you alter your daily routine. Change is rooted in daily actions.

Some real practical suggestions:

• Schedule-focused time: Carving out distraction-free periods requires significant discipline and commitment. Yet, this practice significantly boosts productivity and enhances the quality of your work. The ideal duration for these periods can vary based on individual factors, such as experience and work environment. Nonetheless, aiming for 60-90 minutes of uninterrupted, focused work on a single task is recommended to achieve optimal productivity and cognitive depth.
• Schedule regular breaks between focussed time sessions.
• Step away from tech for a bit: Taking a break from non-essential technology helps zero in on what’s genuinely important. This is especially relevant to the first point; technology, and particularly social media, can be incredibly distracting. Each ‘ping’ can interrupt your focused time and degrade the quality of your work. “Ping” = distraction from your goal/what you’re focussing on = start focussed time again.
• Have some bloody fun: Make room for activities that fulfill you. This balance isn’t just enjoyable; it revitalises you, making those disciplined blocks of focused time far more productive.

This is a nice touch to finish on: “It is hard to see your progress when you are deeply immersed in the process. Before you let doubt take control, examine how much you have grown and accomplished by mentally taking a big step back so you can look at the whole picture” – yung pueblo.