Hey! How will you feel when someone praises you for carrying out a task excellently well?. You might develope goosebumps or become silly shy like me. Okay, here’s another scenario.
You were invited to give a talk about one of your areas of expertise and people have come from all over the world to hear you speak because your service has become highly sought after. Ofcourse, such a service would be paid for. Imagine you have gotten to that point in your life, I bet you will be so proud and grateful for all the efforts you have put into yourself to become that person. AN EXPERT OF ………… fill the blank space with something you will want to become an expert of in few months or weeks from now.
Who is an expert?
According to the Oxford Dictionary an expert is a person who is knowledgeable or skilful in a particular area, for example a chef.
Such a person has invested a chunk of quality time into that given area that has earned him or her the reputation of an expert, which I will say is a reputation of excellence because you have become good at what you do.
There are many things in life we may want to become experts at. We may want to be an expert at our job,hobby,finance, leadership or even raising up kids. I believe you can become an expert at even little things like folding clothes extremely well. Sometimes, it can feel overwhelming or challenging to become an expert at an area.
Becoming an expert at what you do
I have put together a list of the 10 best ways to become an expert at what you do. The goal of this post is to help you think like an expert, see yourself as an expert and become one even if you are a novice in that particular area. These tips come from my own shared experiences and research of becoming an expert at a few things.
This article will show you the exact steps you need to take to become an expert at what you do. Regardless of the area in which you crave expertise, these steps are proven to work wonders.
- Self confidence
- Focus
- Practice ‘deliberate’ learning
- Network with other experts
- Stay positive
- Teach others
- Leverage on Technology
- Find a mentor
- Be patient
- Get feedback
1. Self Confidence
Always tell yourself you can and very soon you will. Believe in yourself and in your abilities.
I remember when I started my writing career, I knew I had passion for writing but I didn’t consider myself an expert at it because I did not have the confidence to publish my own writings. Although I have had several people make positive comments on my writings, somehow I felt, they did because they knew me personally, which I have come to find out is not true. Knowing this gave me the confidence to start this website,a bold step which I do not take for granted.
Even if you are just starting out, commit yourself to the learning process and watch your growth. No one was born an expert, it will take you some time to become one. Take baby steps, if you can’t run.
Self confidence will help you overcome any form of pressure or uneasiness mixed with the excitement that comes with learning something new. You might feel the need to impress, please, do not give in to that feeling, you might become tense. People will definitely be impressed with your work when you eventually get it right, probably at your second trial or third. So even if you missed it at the first time, confidence in your abilities can help you get it right at another trial.
Tip: Do this when you fail at something, simply tell yourself that it was a rehearsal then try to do it again.
2. Focus
Focus is a potent catalyst in becoming an expert at what you do. The power of focus cannot be over emphasized. You become better at anything you give your attention to. If your attention is divided, or you are easily distracted, how do you hope to achieve your goals or even become an expert at what you do. Let your focus be on the things you are learning forget about the few errors and mistakes you might have made previously, thinking about them will steal your productive time.
Focus on that area you want to become an expert, which of course should be your goal for a stipulated time. The truth is distractions are real and they come in different forms. Maybe you have little children, they will definitely be needing your attention at different times including times when you are actively working on a specific task that needs all your attention. So what do you do? What about friends who wants you to hand out with them on short notice, how do you tackle that?. I think planning my time and setting healthy boundaries has worked positively for me over time. I have gravitated towards my goals by simply saying no to less important activities which were not originally in my to do list but looked quite important. Some things can wait, if you make them wait!. Ofcourse, create a balance, not every invite should be turned down, what about emergencies, simply don’t loose your focus and ensure everything you do is pushing you towards your goal in one way or the other.
Set specific goals.
Determine exactly what you want to accomplish within a specific time. According to Brian Tracy in his book Advanced Selling Strategies, he defined goals as the specific long term, measurable, time bounded targets that you are aiming to accomplish.
Setting goals will help you determine how much improvement you have made.
3. Practice ‘delibrate’ learning
Practice will expose you to areas you need to improve on.Not only will this help you learn, but it will also help you become more organized and efficient. You’ll be able to connect the things you have learned and practice them. This can help you come up with new ideas and solutions. Practice is putting your knowledge to work.
Delibrate practice makes you an expert
Practice “ Deliberate” Learning
One of the best ways to become an expert at what you do is to practice “deliberate” learning. This means that you take the time to focus on your skills and practice them regularly.
The important thing is to be patient and consistent. It may take a while to master your desired skill, but if you keep at it, you will eventually get there. And the more effort you put in, the more rewarding it will be when you finally achieve your goal.
4. Network with other experts
You can reproduce success in an area by simple following the steps of an already successful person in that particular area of expertise.
Network with the experts in the area you would want to become an expert in.
One of the best way to become an expert at what you do is to listen to experts, read about experts in that field and watch documentaries of them. By doing this, you’ll not only learn from their experiences, you’ll also get insights into their thought process and the strategies they use to succeed.
You may not have close contact with the person but you leverage on social media to learn about the person. Social media should be one of your tool for learning new things. It will be painful to burn both time and data without any positive impact on you.
5. Stay positive
You must be positive about your growth. No matter how little you think you have improved appload yourself. Take yourself to a nice place and grab a cup of your favorite ice cream. Do not wait for the accolades of people. Ofcourse, the people around you should notice your growth but instead of going from person to person seeking for validation why don’t you give it to yourself.
Keep close company with only
positive people. Your association will definitely have a great impact on you.
Accept criticism with a positive mindset. People will definitely criticize what you do no matter how excellent you think your work is. Convert criticism to stepping stones.
6. Teach Others
Share your knowledge. A great way to share your knowledge is to teach what you know. You can also write on social media like Facebook or answer questions on Quora, in this way you will gain a deeper understanding of what you already know.
One of the best way to learn anything is to teach it to another person. Don’t haured your knowledge. When you’re explaining something to someone else, your brain is put to work, this helps you understand even better.
7. Leveraging on Technology
Ok, so we’ve talked about a lot of ways to become an expert at what you do, but I think this one is especially important. Leveraging on technology is key to becoming an expert at what you do! With so many tools and resources available online, there’s no excuse not to hone your skills and learn as much as you can.
For example, you can find online courses and tutorials on just about any topic imaginable. Or you can use social media to connect with other experts in your field and learn from them as I have talked about previously. There are also lots of online communities and forums where you can get feedback and advice from others like quora. And don’t forget about Google—it’s an amazing resource for finding information on just about anything!
8. Find a Mentor
If you really want to become an expert at something, finding a mentor is one of the best things you can do. A mentor can help guide and support you, offer advice and feedback, and give you the opportunity to learn from their experiences.
So if you’re looking to become an expert at something, find someone who can help guide you on your journey. The rewards will be worth it!
9. Be Patient
One of the most important things to remember when trying to become an expert at anything is to be patient. It takes time and practice to develop mastery in any field, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results right away. As it’s popularly said Rome wasn’t built in a day, so also you won’t become an expert overnight.
Instead, focus on continuous learning and refining your skills. Study the work of experts in your field, and try to emulate their techniques. Take on challenging projects that will help you grow and learn. And most importantly, be patient and keep practicing. With time and dedication, you’ll eventually become an expert at what you do.
10. Get Feedback
Seek out constructive criticism, which I term feedback. Whenever you’re working on, maybe a new project or trying to improve your skills, it’s important to get feedback from other people. Not only will this help you to learn and grow, but it will also show you where you need to focus your efforts.
There are a few ways to get feedback. You can ask friends family, or colleagues. Also join an online community or forum where you can share your work and get feedback from other experts. You can also attend workshops and seminars, or take online courses to learn from the best in the industry.
Conclusion
It will take you some time to literally become an expert in any field. Just know that at the end it will be worth it, When people finally know you as an expert, they will easily recommend you.