Headway PArkour Blog
Today I will be sharing a secret with you: How to become an expert at anything. If you follow the guidelines in this article you will become an expert at your skill of choice; whether that be Parkour or poetry, this will work. Without further adieu, here is the secret formula: Time + Focus = Genius. It really is as simple as that. But don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy; in fact, becoming an expert will be one of the hardest things you ever do. If you are brave enough to embark on this well worn path of mastery I will offer you a few tips that will help you along the way.
10,000 Hours of Practice Anders Ericsson is one of the world’s top researchers on expertise. He found that it takes 10,000 hours of intentionally practicing your craft to become an expert at it. It is important to train even when you don’t feel like it, even when you are tired, even when you are sick, even when everyone tells you to quit. You get the point; always train. I practice my Parkour 4 hours a day, 6 days a week with a 3 day break at the end of each month. If I keep this up, I should be an expert in about 9 years, that seems pretty reasonable to me. Invest in Expert Tools If you want to be expert level, invest expert level tools. Have and expert level diet with an expert level fitness program. Find expert level mentors and teachers to guide you. Most of all, create an expert level environment, sloppy environments lead to sloppy work, stay organized. What i’m trying to emphasize is this: if you plan on being the best, you need the best tools to get you there. Picture Greatness Envision what it will be like to be an expert, create vivid images in your mind of what you want to be. Do this every morning and every night at least 20 times. For example: if you want to someday obtain mastery in Parkour, picture yourself doing the same movements that the current masters of Parkour are doing. Surprisingly enough, your subconscious mind operates through images, so by feeding it images of what you want to be, it will work to get you there. After all, how can you reach your destination if you don’t know where you're going? Be Obsessed All experts have a sick addiction to what they do. They are constantly thinking about their craft and how to make it better. They love what they do, and you should too. Find what makes you happiest and focus on becoming an expert in it. Your area of expertise should be what occupies your mind at any given moment. Progress Small actions repeated consistently will lead to big results. Take small steps towards becoming an expert everyday. Even if that means spending as little as a minute or two just thinking about ways to improve your craft. An object in motion tends to stay in motion so keep on moving towards your goal! Do Great Work Be good at what you do, aim for genius and settle for nothing less. Pour your heart and soul into your craft and always strive to improve. Sleep Less Sleep is a waste of time, you could be working instead. I go to bed at 9:00 PM and wake up at 3:30 AM to train and get ready for the day. I am not recommending that you practice the same (crazy) sleep pattern as I do. But it would definitely benefit you to cut back on the amount of time you spend in bed. Push Your Limits Every Day Growth occurs when we muster up the courage to venture out of our comfort zone, It may be scary but remember: on the other side of your fear lies success. I make a point to try something new or difficult in my training everyday, you should do the same. Journal Keep a journal to track what areas you are proficient in and what areas you are lacking in. You can then look back on the journal the next day and decide what parts of your craft need attention. This is a great way to grow and to reach your true potential. Fail Often Contrary to popular belief, failure is not a bad thing. It teaches us lessons that help us to grow and evolve. So seek out failure and be it’s humble student. Avoid getting frustrated, as this will just slow your progress. Instead, keep your composure and analyze why you failed, use the data you collect to think up ways to improve. Research Knowledge is a very powerful tool. Read books often and learn from those who have walked your path before. All masters study their areas of expertise with a fervent desire. They thirst to know all that they can about their skill in order to bring their game to the next level. My advice is simple: invest in your mind. Stay Humble A true master never admits that he is a master, he has a “beginner’s mind”. Eager to learn and willing to fail. This is the true way to grow. If we think too highly of ourselves, we will not be willing to try new things at risk of failing and embarrassing ourselves. So remember my friends, stay humble! Conclusion So there you have it, my guide on how to become and expert. I want to thank Robin Sharma for his advice and tips on how to reach world class level in your personal and professional life, he inspired me to write this article and gave me a lot of ideas on what to say, Hats off to him. Credit to Marthin Sühl for Picture.
2 Comments
Richie Miranda
8/18/2013 02:17:31 pm
Dameon, I was there at our humble beginnings, and I see how far we've gotten. Brother, I am really proud of you. As proud as a sibling of this art could be. Thank you for your wise words and advice. Keep doing what you do. You truly are the Modern Day Monk of Parkour
Dameon Byker
8/18/2013 07:13:16 pm
We have come pretty far haven't we? It's amazing how fast two people can grow given the proper circumstances. I appreciate all the praise you give me and I will do my best to keep up the good work :) Leave a Reply. |