How to Become Better

What do you want to get better at? Where in your life would you like to be better?

It helps to begin with why you want to get better and where you want to improve.

Thriving and prosperous difference-makers know that intention and integrity matter. 

Getting better at something that doesn’t align with who you are, what you’re good at, and where you belong is a recipe for suffering,

So is betting better by means that don’t align with your values, talents, and scene.

So, assuming you want to get better at something worth getting better at and are prepared to maintain your virtue in the process...

How do you become better?

It helps if you understand where you are and have clarity about where you want to be.

After this audit, you’ll find that you’ll see and do things differently.

What got you where you are won’t get you where you want to go.

But here’s the thing, most of the time, we think we must begin by adjusting our mindset.

However, the science is clear that mindset adjustments come through action.

Action informs mindset (not the other way around).

To change your mind, you must first adjust your behavior (AKA “habits”).

Here are some thoughts on how to do that.*

Start With Sufficiency - You’re fine as you are and aspire to be and do more and better. Where are you at, and what is the smallest viable step into where you want to be. That small, incremental change is enough to go from inert to in motion.

Build Consistency - Turn that first conscious step into an unconscious habit balanced with your other daily activities. Missed a day? Shame is an invitation you don’t have to accept. Simply begin and begin again.

Optimize - Add structure when you consistently have the necessary and essential elements established as default behaviors (AKA “habits”). Create a system and raise the floor on the least efficient elements. Remember, system reliability improves as you prune what’s unnecessary and upgrade what’s weak.

Play - When your system is optimized, you can play with edges and boundaries. These are small experiments, tests, and tweaks with novelty. Abandon what doesn’t work, leverage what does, and never try anything that endangers the system if it doesn’t pan out or sets you back.

Maximize - Advancing to the very top requires a level of refinement and complexity reserved for the absolute best. Closing the gap on the last 1 or 2% involves effort and sacrifice that delivers much lower returns. It may very well be worth it. Then again, it might not. That’s up to you.

Remember, this is a sequence. Taking the next step requires evidence that the current step is established. If you fall off the wagon or backslide on a step, go back a level in the sequence and establish consistency again.

Do the right things in the right order at the right time.

And also, remember, only you can define what “success” looks and feels like for you.

What do you want to get better at? Where in your life would you like to be better? How might this process help?

*h/t Nic Peterson

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at The Art of Encore Living

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