Professional

Photography by Hunters Race on Upslash

How does one become a professional? How does one stop being an amateur? These are questions that I have asked myself many times in my life. I have read many books about this and researched a lot of about this. Within all the information that I have read and research has been pointless. One thing that I have learned the most is that it is a mind set. A shift as Steven Pressfield has stated. 

This shift is something we do in our own minds. This shift is free, yet extremely difficult and cost a lot. Not in money, but in many other aspects of life. It also requires to put down the amateur life and take up the professional life. Do stop doing amateur habits and build professional habits. 

For years I had amateur habits, loosely setting goals, saying I was going to so something and not completing them. Never doing the work required to actually complete the things I said I was going to do. I have thought about blogging for years and I said I was going to do it for a long time. I would never set true goals or habits to actually complete them. Until now, I told myself I am a professional and I have started to build the professional habits needed to complete the things I have set out to do. 

By no means am I, at this current time, completely set in my habits. I know there are more habits that I need to from to grow and become better at the skills I have. Yet I will share with you what I have learned so far. 

I have learned to setup a workflow, habits and actually doing the work. I have made small goals that are easy to complete, these small goals allow me to complete bigger goals. I have build an app list that I use to create a workflow that keeps me focused. This allows me to complete the tasks that I have set out to complete through out the day. I also, most importantly, do not allow myself to get upset about a task that doesn’t get complete. 

I simply move it to the next day and complete it on that day. I realized the more that I focused on the goals and tasks that I did not complete, the more I didn’t complete any of them. I allowed the amateur habits to kick in and put things off all together. Being a professional, you know that things will come up. Things will get in the way and you learn to overcome these things. 

In building a workflow that works for me, I have setup the habits needed to complete the goals that I have set out to complete. I cannot create a workflow that works for everyone. My workflow doesn't work for everyone and that is okay. Your workflow will only work for you and it may work out for others. Find and do what works for you.

Learn from others and implement the pieces that work and don’t get hung up on the things that done. Throw them out, the sooner you throw out the things that don’t work, the sooner your workflow will start working for you. Do not hesitate to let things that are not working go. They are holding you back from being a professional at what makes you who you are. It is time to be a professional. 

Do the work. 

If you want some great information on this subject and a great place to start. I would start with Steven Pressfield’s books as well as Simon Sinek’s books. The information in these books have shown me the path that I should have be on such a long time ago. 

Even with all the information out there, the choice comes down to you, are you ready? Join me on the journey and lets learn together. As always take care yourself and each other.