What limits most of us has nothing to do with our lacking skills or intelligence. Nor does it have anything to do with being wrong or sick. What limits most of us is that we are living our lives as amateurs. Having th e life we aspire to requires discipline and intention. It requires a mastery that is informed by a specific kind of mindset.
Typically, the amateur's mindset is to develop just enough competency to feel more or less comfortable doing what they're doing. Amateurs, while they say they would like to excel, typically practice just enough to avoid looking foolish. They tend to be easily distracted, blame external forces for poor results, and will be easily pulled away if something proves too difficult.
Contrast this to the professional's mindset.
A professional is not willing to settle for anything less than excellence. Comfort is not part of their mindset. A professional identifies what it will take to excel at their chosen endeavor. And then they set out to do what it takes to achieve that level of excellence knowing that they will be continuously stretching themselves - and frequently failing - as they do so. In the process, they know that they will be uncomfortable. They know they will not want to stay late, work harder, do one more rep, get back up one more time, ask for feedback, or ask for help. They also know very clearly that success takes what it takes. There are no shortcuts. Energy does indeed follow attention. Professionals are willing to make that kind of investment and they design their life with this in mind.
We make choices daily in our lives. While many of our choices don't seem to involve life and death choices we are, in fact, losing a bit of our life each and every day. A question to begin and end each day with is: Am I spending my life or investing it? Spending your life's energy returns very little in terms of fulfillment, satisfaction, and joy. On the other hand, investing your life's energy in something you consider to be worthwhile, has an ROI measured by excellence - both as an experience and as a result. What investment will it take for you to design and have your life as a professional would?
