I was having breakfast out this morning with my family. We were staying at a Courtyard hotel and they had the usual buffet. But this one had a chef who was making omelettes to order.
She made a light fluffy ham and cheese omelete as I watched. In my normal nosey way, I asked her how she made them so perfectly. “I’ve tried that at home, but it never works out as well as a pro. What’s the secret to the perfect omelete?”
She thought for a second then said “it’s the pan.”
I said “I’ve got that pan. It still doesn’t work so well.”
She thought a little more and then said “Well, I have been making omeletes here for 13 years. I guess I’ve had a lot of practice.”
So it’s not the pan, it’s not the eggs, and not the filling. It’s the practice. You might not have 13 years to dedicate to egg dishes, but what do you want to master? What one skill would you like to perfect?
Most people can’t imagine working to perfect something for 13 days, let alone 13 years. But to master something is what makes us high in demand for that skill. Therefore thinking about what we want to specialize in is extremely important.
Choosing something you can visualize yourself doing for 13 years is a good place to start… What’s your 13 year skill you want to master?
{ 2 comments }
Good point. I used to envy other people for their skills. I have friends who work as contractors and I often wish I had their ability to do my own projects around the house. One day somebody told me they wished they could work with computers as well as I can. That’s when it hit me as I told them I just had to spend several years trying new things, reading articles, reading blog posts, and getting an IT degree. I suddenly realized that my friends are contractors because they have put the time into developing the skills and knowledge needed for that line of business, while I haven’t.
Yes, when getting experience, patience is a virtue. Chugging along, putting time into developing skills and knowledge may not be the most fun in the world, but if we keep what we want to achieve in sight it can help.