article · August 2007
Accelerate Your Abilities
Visualize the benefits of increased abilities.
In today's fast-paced life, the wins usually go to those with exceptional skills and abilities. The old quote is true, "The race is not always won by the swift and the strong, but that is the way to bet." With this in mind, and with your desire to become increasingly successful, here are some ways to accelerate your abilities, thus enabling you to achieve greater and greater things.
Become dissatisfied with your current state. Growth for growth's sake is good. Those who will achieve much are those who say to themselves, "I want to grow. I want to be better. And I am willing to do what it takes to get there. This current state is not enough!" This dissatisfaction will create for you an insatiable drive to do what it takes to get your abilities to the next level.
Visualize the benefits of increased abilities.
Put them at the forefront of your mind. This will saturate your mind with the motivation that it will take for you to do what it takes to increase your abilities. What good will come out of my increased ability? How will I be better off as well as the others around me? The answers to these questions act as the carrot before the horse, moving you forward.
Understand your weaknesses.
If you want to improve, one of the best ways is to start with some area that you aren't particularly good at. This is the "shoring up method." Sometimes it is easier to improve something you aren't good at that something you are. And the gains will still look great for your overall situation! Take some time to consider what areas you are weakest in and focus in on them for a while. The results will obviously be much more pronounced than getting better at something you have already somewhat mastered.
Attempt greater levels of what you are already good at.
Another tact to take would be to stretch yourself in an area that you already have some skill and ability in. What areas do you excel in? Now understand that when you leave the weaker areas weak and make extraordinary gains in one area, then you will be moving more toward "specialist" rather than "generalist." That is okay, but needs to fit in with your overall goals.
Commit time each day to improvement.
Steady improvement is the way to go. In fact, you may not see improvement for days or weeks. You may feel like you are failing each time. But alas, eventually you will get it and your skill will increase to the next level. The key is day in, day out, spending time working on improving. Even five minutes a day equals a half hour a week, 2 hours a month. That adds up! Remember, Practice, practice, practice.
Seek out and spend time with someone who has greater ability than you.
One of the best things to do to increase your ability is hang out with people who are already more skilled than you. Watching, them, studying them, interacting with them, even competing with them will make you better. As in sports, to improve, you play with people better than you, not worse. They will raise you to a new level. Who around you can you get involved with who will help you with your ability?
Take a class or hire a coach.
Go to school my friend. Take a course at a local college or vocational institute. Take a class online. Hire one of the many coaches available today. Pick a specific skill you would like to improve upon and find someone who is a specialist in that area. At the very least, pick up some audio or videotapes to help you grow.
Be the tortoise, not the hare. Slow but sure. Take your time, do it right.
Keep going in the right direction. Learn your craft correctly. Don't give up quality for speed. The whole idea of acceleration is this way: Slow start, work up to high speeds, go the distance. Luckily life isn't a sprint but a marathon!
Hope these ideas help you as you commit to accelerating your abilities!
Chris Widener is an example of how anyone can overcome any odds to achieve a successful life and help others achieve the same. Chris has overcome many obstacles... living through his father dying suddenly when he was four, being sent away from his family to live with relatives at
age nine and becoming involved with drugs and alcohol by the age of twelve. Chris overcame those obstacles and has for the last ten years worked with some of the most financially successful families in America, helping them to achieve both personally and professionally. Now he can do the same for you!
Consulting Services Chris Widener is proud to offer his consulting services to you. The following three areas are his specialty areas. If you have been considering the help of an outside source to help you in business or life issues, you'll want to read the following information.
Personal Growth As a person who has worked for 10 years with people from all sorts of backgrounds, Chris Widener is an expert in personal growth. Our lives aren't just all business. We have intellectual pursuits, spiritual lives, families, hobbies, and recreation to think about too. For the best advice on how to maintain a balance in all of the areas of your life, Chris can be your own personal growth coach.
Business Starting a new business or just want a boost for an existing one? Chris Widener is the resource you are looking for. Chris has a knack for taking complex issues and boiling them down to a step by step plan of action to help you achieve your business goals. Drawing from his own experience and a network of successful contacts, Chris can help guide you down the path of success. Got problems? From small problems to large ones, Chris can help you get solutions! He will help you determine the problem, and then get you on your way to solving the problem in no time. Sometimes you need an outside source to take a look at what you are doing and provide smart, creative advice. Email Chris today!
Speech Coaching As a professional speaker, Chris is one of the best. Now, he can help you become your best whether you speak every day or simply have a once a year speech coming up. Chris has both on-site coaching and video assessments available. Email Chris today to find out how you can reach your peak as a speaker. For strategy, advice, encouragement and an honest appraisal, give Chris a call. 425-444-GOAL
The readable text follows the preserved original publication. The original PDF remains available alongside it.