In our increasingly distracted world, you have to make a choice.
You can be a dabbler, an amateur:
(The world is full of ’em.)
…they half-heartedly stay on the job, because they “have to.” (Not because they want to.)
…they always check their phone for when it’s time to *finally* leave work
…they look for a step-by-step program, a simple formula, or a quick fix in order to solve their problems. (Not realizing that it takes time and effort to turn things around. Especially, if these problems have been around for a while.)
Or, you can be a pro:
Pros do the following.
- They immerse themselves by going wide and deep. (They are in it for mastery; honoring and enjoying the process, embarking on an epic journey to success.)
- They focus closely on what matters (the essentials) and consider all options.
- They show up every day, no matter what—whether they feel like it or not.
(For more guidance on how to become a pro, I highly recommend you to check out Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield. A fantastic read. Let’s move on.)
Taught to be an amateur.
Back in high school, I struggled with learning anything.
Be it a foreign language (English/French), math, biology, music…
…No matter what I tried, I couldn’t fully immerse myself. Why?
Because we were taught in, let’s say, an interesting waaaay. Learn waaaay too much stuff that doesn’t matter in real life, in waaaay too little time, without any depth, whatsoever.
Get taught something fast, hammer it into your head, write a test, forget about it, and move on to the next topic. Critical thinking set aside. That’s how I was taught; to minimize mistakes and not question authority (that is, teachers).
I was taught to be an amateur.
You probably too.
The moment I turned pro (in a nutshell):
Outside of school, I wasn’t forced to use any foreign language.
Everything was in German: Television, video games, movies (either national or translated, if international), books, conversations, you name it.
Suddenly, during my gap year abroad, it was a different game. Now I was forced to speak English. To survive, I had to immerse myself into a new culture—and make many mistakes along the way.
It will forever be the best decision of my life.
Not only did my foreign language skills go up, but my social skills went through the roof. Thanks to daily immersion, I turned my whole social life around.
(ON A SIDE-NOTE: Until the end of 2013, I had very few (real) friends. I was bullied in school in 2007 when I was around 13-14 years young because I was shy and didn’t know how to defend myself. The following years weren’t much better since I struggled to “fit in while staying true to myself.” I was constantly fighting against my own mind. To not commit suicide was my biggest achievement, back then. In 2013, at age 20, I was still a virgin.)
By mid-2014, I was able to confidently attend meetups and other social gatherings without faking who I truly was or, respectively, am. And, more important, I got to know amazing people. Most of them are still close friends, which amazes me till this day.
(Among others, (a) numerous personal development seminars, (b) USANA 2014 International Convention in Utah where I was fortunate to meet inspirational people like Tony Robbins, Brendon Burchard, Denis Waitley, Dr. Oz, and some more, (c) several different meetups ranging from early “investing in bitcoin” to “salsa dancing,” “language exchanges,” “meditation retreats,” “drinking with International people,” “‘free’ coaching events,” “speed networking,” and even a “German meetup” that I attended for whatever reason, (d) list goes on; I don’t want to bore you.)
Yes, I am an introvert. Yes, I am an idealist. Yes, I am someone who still struggles with making a great first impression, who’s super bad at improvising, as well as other things.
So be it.
The main thing: I was feeling alive again and I was (and thankfully still am) surrounded by the best people I could have prayed for to have in my life.
At this point: Big shoutout to my friends and family! You are the best!
I’m either all-in… or nothing, at all. I either care deeply or couldn’t care less.
And because I am an either “all-in-or-nothing-kinda-guy,” turning pro was easy for me—once I allowed myself to fail. That was the hardest part.
Since then…
I’ve failed a lot, but—thanks to focus and immersion—I kept going, learned, adjusted, and got real-life results I am still proud of today. Even after 7+ years.
I’ve focused on what matters, on what’s essential. Instead of following a billion different opinions, overthinking ad nauseam… I kept on practicing the few key points that affect the biggest difference …..80/20 principle, basically.
I’ve reminded myself over and over and over again that nothing else matters if I don’t take action. To be exact: Taking consistent action. Goals without action don’t matter. And whether you feel like doing what you set out to do, or not…
…Do it anyways.
Full stop.
P. S. Being a pro and having a fun (social) life doesn’t need to be mutually exclusive. You can have both. You should have both in your life. Work hard, play hard.
