Love Your Craft

Have you ever committed to becoming excellent in your craft? I don’t mean that you’re merely naturally talented in the craft. I mean that you have decided to intentionally get better at your craft everyday. On the good days, on the hard days, on the days where you feel like your craft is no longer your thing. 

Are you taking your craft seriously? Halfway effort is going to get you halfway results no matter what your craft is. How many people do we know that were extremely talented, but did not think enough of their talents to do the work required to refine their talent into elite skill?

Are you working to intentionally improve at your craft? Continuous learning is necessary for us to advance in our pursuits. We’ve all heard from the person that touts their thirty years of experience in a field, but they demonstrate limited growth in their field over that time. The craft always evolves. Are you learning enough to evolve with your craft?

Are you organized in your approach to your craft? We all know the absentminded genius that surrounds themselves with chaos of their own making but is still amazing at their craft. Assume you are not that person.

Do you have urgency about your craft? You’ve probably seen the following quote: “Tomorrow - a mystical land where 99% of all human productivity, motivation, and achievement is stored.” We need to give everything we have to the current day. Then wake up the next day, giving it all again.

Do you love your craft? I’m not saying you have to love a craft to be good at it, I’m saying you have to love the craft in order to have a chance of being your best at it. We’re all born with certain talents. After we’re born, it’s up to us to maximize the talents we have through work and discipline in order to shape talent into skill.

When we commit to our craft in all these ways, we earn the opportunity to become excellent. If you have not yet committed to your craft, today (not tomorrow) is an excellent day to start.