Steel can be any shape you want if you are skilled enough, and any shape but the one you want if you are not.
— Robert Pirsig
Have you ever considered the difference between skill and ability? Too often we confuse the two. We try something new and find that we are terrible at it. Often we then tell ourselves that we are just not good at that task. We make a judgement call about our ability. However, in such situations, it is not our ability that is lacking but our skill.
When trying something new, we should not expect to have a lot of skill. It is after all new to us. No one ever painted a masterpiece the first time they picked up a paint brush, had a perfect golf swing the first time the held a golf club, or played a beautiful song a music instrument on their first attempt. This can be frustrating and too often we interpret our initial unsuccessful experiences as a measure of our ability instead of a measure of our skill.
Despite the myth of natural genius, people do not come pre-programmed with skill. Skill must be acquired through practice and repetition. It is cultivated by intentional effort.
Despite not having innate skill, we all can thing of many people who paint beautiful paintings, have great golf swings, can create beautiful music, or perform any one of a million other tasks. These are the people who have cultivated their skill through countless hours of practice and effort. The secret to life is that you can be one of them.
We are all born with a near limitless amount of ability. We have the ability to learn and grow and create skills. And you have the potential within you to acquire just about whatever skills you decide you want to possess. While you may have natural inclinations to certain skills almost every skill can be learned by anyone. All it takes is practice and effort.
So, when you try something new and find that you don’t yet have the skills needed to be successful, focus on the ability you have to learn new skills and then determine what kind of practice will help you to gain the skills you want and need to become who you want to be.
What is one skill you truly want to acquire? What practice can you start today to begin to foster that skill?