#1136 Double Down

A few months ago, I spoke about the beating I took at my own hands for being bad at stuff I thought I was supposed to be good at.

As if that mental flogging wasn't enough of a waste, I spent a lot of time struggling to improve at those things, thinking that a lack of trying equaled a lack of discipline. 

Excessive time for inferior outcomes is a flawed formula.

I'm not talking about early training regimes for something one desires. I'm talking about the Sisyphean rolling of the rock.

I finally realized that doubling down on the things I was good at and letting go of some things I wasn't good at was a better strategy.

I have a weakness with attention to detail.  Christine, who manages various parts of my business, can find a mistake like a soaring hawk finding a mouse in an overgrown field. I create ideas and then send them to Christine. I don't obsess over getting better at details; Christine's got that.

I have a speaking coach, a website developer, a data aggregator to find leads, and Christine batting clean up. I work on what I'm good at.  Doubling down on my strengths makes me tough to beat in my areas of expertise.  You know the adage, Jack of all, master of none? I find that struggling with things I don't have a proclivity toward wears me out, wastes my time and talent, and pushes me toward mediocrity.

It's OK to have a few areas of expertise.  You don't need to be a one-trick pony. I am a sales and communications expert and speaker. I use those talents in multiple areas, but I stay in my lane.  I read in my lane, seek advice, and work on my skills in my lane.  I want to own my lane.  When I drift into another lane or, worse, convince myself that I SHOULD be able to work in that lane, I screw up, and I take precious time away from becoming all I can in the areas I excel in.

Find what you're good at and do more of it. Don't beat yourself up over the other stuff.  I doubt Warren Buffet goes to bed lamenting his plumbing skills.

Own Your Sales Gene…