How To Unlock Your Greatness

There's greatness within you! The Greek philosopher Epictetus once said, "We all carry the seed of greatness within us, but we need an image as a point of focus in order that they may sprout." In other words, everyone has the potential to become great, but they must act on that potential to unlock it and get better at what they do. So, what is greatness? Greatness is about being excellent at what you do. It's about being extremely good at performing in your area of calling or expertise. So, do you want to know how to unlock your greatness? Here are five ways to be great at what you do and set yourself apart from the competition.

Do what you love

Greatness requires you first decide what you want to do and fall in love with it, despite the discomfort you may experience. You can either choose to do something you currently love or explore other areas to determine if there is another area or field of practice that you could fall in love with. Whatever path you choose, ensure it's an area you eventually fall in love with because this will make a lot of difference in your success. Loving what you do is essential because becoming great at anything requires considerable time and hard work. Also, if you aren't pursuing something you are passionate about, your motivation to keep going will wane during challenging times as you chase greatness.

Set clear goals

When it comes to unlocking greatness, having set goals is a must. Also, having clear, well-defined goals is vital to succeeding in any endeavour. But what is goal setting? Goal setting is about taking active steps to achieve a desired outcome. Hence, well-defined goals will help you develop new behaviours, better focus, and prioritize what's essential from what's urgent. Thus, when you set clear goals, you are imagining the future you want to create, and this process will help you stay motivated as you pursue the achievement of your desired outcome. While clearly defined goals are critical to unlocking your greatness, taking massive action on these goals is paramount. Therefore, ensure that you spend a significant amount of time daily executing your plan because plans don't work unless you do.

Practice consistently

Practicing your craft now and then won't be enough to master it. If you want to become great, you must practice frequently and consistently. Remember this! Practice beats talent any day, so quit relying on your talent. If you have talent, that's ok, but don't rely on it because talent is overrated. Instead, devote your time and energy to practicing your craft until it becomes second nature to do it. The most effective way to practice is what Geoff Colvin, in his book "Talent Is Overrated," referred to as deliberate practice. The idea behind deliberate practice is that if you want to master your craft, you need to practice with a clear awareness of the specific components of the skill you aim to improve with a plan on exactly how to improve it. In other words, break up the task into chunks by organizing the practice into small pieces. Slow down practicing, take time to learn during the process, and repeat until you experience mastery.  

Learn from the best

While it may be possible to achieve greatness without a support system, you'll find the journey much easier if you are willing to learn from others, which may include a mentor or coach. As a matter of fact, one is too small a number for greatness, so don't try to do it on your own. Additionally, look for examples of people who have become great at what you are trying to do or who you would like to become and emulate them. Don't imitate, emulate. Study their work and figure out what they did to get to where they are. Study what they did wrong, what they did right, and what you can take away from their experience on your quest for greatness.

Develop Mental Toughness

Mental toughness is the ability to perform consistently and productively under pressure. As a psychological trait, mental toughness plays a more significant role than talent and skills in achieving success, whether in sports, business, or life. Hence, developing this trait is vital to unlock your greatness. One way to build mental toughness is to stay positive by practicing positive self-talk daily. Another strategy is visualization, which is envisioning a mental image of the situation or outcome you want to achieve in the future. Finally, learn to manage your emotions through breathing exercises and relaxation techniques such as the centering breath exercise, which can help disarm anxiety and reset emotional and psychological states.