Intention = Better Improvement

When people ask me what they can do to move up in their career I ask them
what they got better at this past year. Oftentimes, the answer is a blank
stare.

There are certain things we get better at with just routine and repetition.
Back in my teenage years, I got pretty sick at spinning a pizza in the air or
backing in a car while working as a valet. Reps were enough to get you most of
the way to greatness.

At a higher level, in most professional settings, fewer tasks get better
with muscle memory. Instead, it’s the personal toolkit that needs to be grown.
And the only way to grow the toolkit is via intentionality. Showing up is
essential, but not enough on its own.

The onus is on us to do the work to identify skills and know-how that can
contribute to the team’s success. Then we have to go out and get them; no one
is going to tell us or push us to improve. The good news is it’s easier than
ever before. We can perform brain surgery with eight hours of prep time and
YouTube if we wanted to.

What skills can you acquire this year that will transform your effectiveness
and grow your abilities and confidence?

p.s. If you’re a regular user of Excel, I can’t recommend the Index/Match formula enough. It’s insanely helpful and only takes a few minutes to master if you put your mind to it.

Hat tip to my buddy at CultishCreative.com for inspiration this morning.