Often, we hear that a friend we haven't seen in a while has achieved something new or completed a difficult goal, and we look upon them with envy, sighing "they're really exceptional," "they're really amazing." We wonder why, despite having the same amount of time in our lives, we haven't accomplished much either, and can only lament about social injustice.
In reality, many talents and abilities are not innate. They come from people who quietly work hard through deliberate practice and persistent change, and only then do they have the opportunity to share the fruits of their labor with others and gain recognition.
In the book "Deliberate Practice," there's a concept called "goal-directed practice"—you must step out of your comfort zone, otherwise you won't progress. Goal-directed practice advances bit by bit. For example, if our big goal is "to memorize 100 sequences of digits in one sitting," we first set a deadline, then break the goal into smaller targets. For instance, the first week might be memorizing 10 digits consecutively, then adding 5 more each subsequent week. When you hit difficulties or plateaus, change your approach—perhaps use different codes to memorize the digits, or assign them meaning rather than treating them as mere numbers.
The book mentions an example of a graduate student who, during digit memorization training, hit a plateau but didn't give up. Instead, he changed his method and found an approach that worked for him. When others tried to follow his method, they couldn't achieve the same results. This tells us that everyone has different personalities and patterns that suit them. You don't necessarily have to follow the path of those before you or the methods they developed to reach your goal. Sometimes, following what others think and say becomes a form of forcing yourself.
I bought this book not because it was famous or bestselling, but because a year ago, I stepped into a company I had dreamed about since my student days. I happened to gain this insight: at first, I felt overwhelming pain and pressure, and I even cried uncontrollably at the office without caring about my image. When I went home, I needed time to adjust my emotions before I could pick myself up again.
Now, after a full year has passed, throughout this process, from having my work constantly criticized at first, to gradually being able to produce larger, more in-depth work—of course, I'm not boasting about how much progress I've made or how great it is, but through this process, I realized that using the same method to get the same results is nonsense. At that time, a friend who was also lost asked for my thoughts, and I told her, "You need to deliberately change in order to see obvious progress." It's because others can easily see your flaws and areas for improvement. If you know what the problems are and don't take action to adjust them, you won't progress.
However, when we're in a period of change, feelings of unease and uncertainty often accompany us. But that's when we need to clarify: when these feelings appear, "we are growing." And that's a good thing!
Although I've weathered a period of insecurity and am now entering the next phase of panic, with both body and mind feeling uncomfortable, I just have to think back on how I got through it before, and remember how many people around me have supported me—and I'll keep fighting harder.
↓ I want to share with everyone what I'm currently working hard on. I'm still a beginner, but I'm gradually overcoming it.
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