Accelerate Your 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!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.

To see Chris "live" at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on the subject of Secrets of Influence go to http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

---

Best Friends

Do you ever need to have your batteries "re-charged", or... Read More

Directions For Life

Give people more than they expect and do it... Read More

Love Thy Neighbor

I would like to take a moment to write about... Read More

Turning Your Life Over To God and Trusting Him To Lead You Is Like . . . . .

. . . . . riding a roller coaster for... Read More

A Global Empathy Deficit- 2 Lessons

"...We've got a budget deficit that's important, we've got a... Read More

Dream Board

DREAM IT, CREATE IT, BECOME ITIf you've been reading my... Read More

In Search For Wealth

My eldest son phoned me the other night to let... Read More

5 Notions That Americans Should Put Out To Pasture

Wisdom and knowledge come from the same family but are... Read More

The Women At The Cross (Reflections On The Death And Resurrection Of Jesus)

The women at the cross. Have you ever thought about... Read More

The Great Challenge of Life

Here's the great challenge of life - You can have... Read More

Your World Your Way - Trusting Yourself In Business

"It doesn't interest me who you are, or how you... Read More

A Cat In The Hand Is Worth Two Birds In The Bush!

I bought this computer just over two years ago with... Read More

Healing The Abandonment Wounds

I have counseled individuals, couples, families and business partners for... Read More

Financial Freedom Blues

Steps to Financial Freedom, roadmap to financial freedom, achieve financial... Read More

You Reap What You Sow

There is an old principle: You reap what you sow.... Read More

A Brick Wall

Direct Answers - Column for the week of August 18,... Read More

Conscious Living

Earlier this year, following an intention to live more consciously,... Read More

Nothing To Celebrate

Direct Answers - Column for the week of August 12,... Read More

Keep on Keeping on!

Whenever we are working on our dreams we are going... Read More

For Inspiration Watch a Kite Fly Against the Wind

Given a steady wind and a properly balanced kite, the... Read More

The Art of Selfishness

Mature selfishness is the cornerstone of effectively living with passion... Read More

Built in Judge

In this world we don't have to afraid to anybody... Read More

Unintended Consequences

Direct Answers - Column for the week of May 26,... Read More

And How Do We Feel This Morning?

Without question, going to the hospital is teamwork from the... Read More

Caring in My Sisters Way: A Lesson On Judgement

Last summer, I had an acute case of bronchitis. I... Read More

A Perspective on Life!

All of our lives we always seem to direct our... Read More

The Shattered Identity

I. ExpositionIn the movie "Shattered" (1991), Dan Merrick survives an... Read More

Without Love

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 30,... Read More

Relax. Its Just Your Life

What am I supposed to do with my life? Shouldn't... Read More

L.S. Macs Treasures

Such as my defeat overwhelmed me, so did my love... Read More

3 Big Fat Lies that Deserve to Die

Big Fat Lie 1: Your personality is formed and unchangeable... Read More

Top Ten Ways to Retire Retirement

1. Retire the word "retirement" from your vocabulary. Look it... Read More

Lessons about Life in an Unexpected Place

Did you ever receive a gift in an unexpected place?I... Read More