The Importance of Focused Self-Improvement: How to Turn Good into Great

I believe that many of us consciously or subconsciously view life as a quest for self-improvement, a quest that only culminates in death. This obsession with constant growth and development is not new, as evident in the sudden rise in the use of the word “improve” since the beginning of the 20th century. We are consumed by a constant urge to become better versions of ourselves, yet we often fail to identify what specific areas we need to improve. This lack of clarity can hamper our quest for self-improvement, resulting in wasted time and effort.

Developing the wrong things or trying to improve everything can complicate or slow down our quest for self-improvement. The story of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, two world-renowned soccer players, demonstrates this perfectly. Wayne Rooney is a skilled all-round player, but his constant position changes meant that he never played to his strengths. On the other hand, Ronaldo always focused on being in the forward position, playing to his strengths. Ronaldo is consequently considered one of the finest players in professional soccer.

We often find it easier to identify our weaknesses rather than our strengths. When we observe others excelling in fields we struggle with, we feel compelled to match their skill level. However, this approach ignores the probability that we are better at something else. Similar to soccer, if an entire team tried to match each other instead of developing individual skills, the team’s performance would likely suffer. It is impossible to be an expert at everything. Focusing on developing one’s strengths may be the key to true self-improvement.

The history of smartphones supports the idea of focusing on one’s strengths. Prior to the unveiling of the iPhone in 2007, phone companies believed that the future of mobile phones resided in aspects such as durability, chipset, and appearance. However, Apple recognized people’s deep-rooted desire for efficiency and something more than just a phone. Being innovative and improving efficiency has always been Apple’s strength, and it focused on those aspects only. By playing to its strengths, Apple revolutionized the mobile phone industry, forcing the competition to copy their approach.

Trying to improve everything leads to becoming average at everything. The best way to improve oneself is by building upon existing strengths. This process may be challenging and demanding. When we identify areas where we are not performing well, it is natural to want to become good at them. However, this approach wastes time. Every second spent improving one’s weaker areas is a second that could have been spent improving one’s strengths. To succeed, one must focus on their niche area of expertise.

How to turn good into great

To build upon one’s strengths, one must do the following:

1. Clearly Identify Your Strength: Sit down and work out what exactly your strengths are. Celebrate and embrace them.

2. Define Your Strength: Research your identified strengths thoroughly, understand what can be improved, and how to do so.

3. Break Down the Strength into Small Parts: Identifying and improving a specific aspect of your strength through deliberate practice.

Picking flaws in areas of existing strength can be challenging. It is natural to struggle in identifying weaknesses as we presume we are already great in those aspects. This process can, however, turn a good player into a great one. Focusing on one’s strengths can be transformative; it requires undivided attention and deliberate practice.

In conclusion, self-improvement is a vital part of life. However, our obsession with being better can lead us to waste time, energy, and resources. To truly improve, one must focus on their strengths and develop those areas through deliberate practice. Identifying specific strengths, understanding and researching them, and improving upon individual aspects of those strengths can transform one’s performance, turning a good player or individual into a great one.