The reason that many people underachieve in their careers is because they do not realize how long it takes to achieve mastery in any field. Extensive research in this area suggests that it requires about five to seven years of hard work for you to move to the top of your field and continued lifelong learning. This means five to seven years of focused, concentrated, determined hard work on yourself to get better and better in the key result areas that are responsible for your personal development. And there are no short cuts.
Sometimes people say to me, “Five to seven years is a long time to achieve mastery in my field.” This is true. But I then remind them that, “The time is going to pass anyway.”
This is very important. The biggest regret that many people report is that “they did not start early enough.” But the time is going to pass anyway. Five to seven years from now, five to seven years will have passed. The only question is, “Where are you going to be five to seven years from now in your field?”
The good news is that, if you set it as a goal, make a plan, and work on it every day, five to seven years from now you are going to be in the top 10% of people in your field. Through personal development you are going to be one of the highest paid and most respected people in your career. You are going to be enjoying the great results and rewards of the top performers in your business through your hard work.
Remember this. Nobody is better than you and nobody is smarter than you. If someone is doing better than you, it just means that they started their personal development on themselves in a certain way earlier than you did. And whatever anyone else has done, you can do as well. There are no limits except the limits you place on yourself with your own thinking.
The very fact that others have been able to excel in a field, after having started off in that field with no experience or skills, is proof that you can excel in that field as well through hard work. Your job is to put your head down, get busy, and go to work on yourself and commit to lifelong learning. Resolve today to develop the habit of personal excellence, and focus all your energies on joining the top 10% of professionals in your field. Once you do that, your entire future will open up in front of you. You will become unstoppable.
Commit To Lifelong Learning
Another key habit of thinking and acting practiced by top people is growth orientation. It is the high road to personal development and essential to developing the habit of optimism. This method of thinking and living is the foundation of excellence orientation, and is essential for you to develop if you want to move into the top 10% of your field.
Growth orientation requires that you develop the habit of continuous lifelong learning, the habit of continuous professional and personal development. Just as you exercise physically on a regular basis to remain fit and healthy, you must exercise mentally on a daily basis to become better and better and commit to lifelong learning in your chosen field.
Looking for personal development to take your life and your work to the next level? Email admin@projectspace.in and set up a consultation with Dr. Kate to discuss how to best support you reaching your goals.
Originally published on www.briantracy.com under the title: Professional and Personal Development through Lifelong Learning
About Brian Tracy – Brian Tracy is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. You can follow him on facebook and twitter.
