The difference between our biggest regrets and our greatest opportunities is the amount of preparation we have at the moment the door to change opens. If we are prepared, we can maximize the choices and chances. If we are unprepared, we fail, falter and wonder if we missed our moment.
The other morning as I clicked through cable channels in my hotel room, I came across a TV show called Cupcake Wars. The show consists of several competition rounds where judges provide contestants with different instructions and criteria each time. As the rounds progressed, it became clear that one of the contestants was gifted at baking and developing unique flavor combinations. The judges consistently praised her creativity.
But equally evident was that although she excelled in some key areas—her decorating skills were basic. In the end, her underdeveloped decorating skills cost her the $10,000 prize. As I watched the victory slip through her hands, I couldn’t help but wonder where mediocrity may be stealing from me.
All of us are good at something that sets us apart. Hopefully, we are able to practice our skill on a daily basis as part of our careers or businesses. Regardless of our talent or skill, we must work to develop ourselves so that we can move from good to great.
We don’t have to be great at everything, but wherever our purpose and passion lies, we should be willing to devote the necessary time to growing and perfecting our gifts and character. This preparation will make the difference between opportunity and regret.
Here are two key things we need to develop ourselves:
1. Know Your Craft: Getting better at anything requires understanding and study. In every area of our lives, exposing ourselves to the right knowledge can help us to grow and develop. We become better when we study and then apply new understanding in the key areas of our lives. We should always be students of life so that we can be better human beings. The principle of garbage in, garbage out applies here. We can expand our potential or cripple it with the information we allow into our environment.
2. Get Feedback: It is dangerous to live limited to the scope of our own wisdom and understanding. The contestant on the show had great skills, but it shouldn’t have taken an appearance on national television for her to discover that her baking skills had far outpaced her ability to decorate. Soliciting feedback as she grew would have helped to lessen the gap. Sometimes we are afraid to ask how we can be better, but the only way to make sure we are growing in the right direction is to allow others to help us.
Do Your Work! Schedule time to reflect on three opportunities you desire. For example, you might like to work in a certain industry or date a certain type of person. Identify some key changes you would need to make to be prepared for that to happen. Once you’ve identified the changes, ask a mentor, or close friend, for input on what behaviors you display they believe could present an obstacle.
Define Your Wealth! Every day affirm, “I am committed to growing and becoming my best self!”
Named eWomenNetwork’s first “North America’s Next Greatest Speaker,” Coach Felicia is a Certified Executive Coach who empowers her clients to “Turn their Worth into Wealth” as she partners with them to DISCOVER their WORTH, DO their WORK and DEFINE their WEALTH. Get more insight, download the FREE “8 Choices Winners Must Make” seminar MP3 at www.coachfelicia.com!
