4 Tips to Dramatically Improve Any Skill Practice does not, in fact, always make perfect. Here's an easy way to make sure all that work pays off.
Picture someone you know who is incredibly talented: an athlete, a musician, a scientist. You probably wish you had been born with some type of gift, right? You were. "We are often taught that talent begins with genetic gifts--that the talented are able to effortlessly perform feats the rest of us can only dream about. This is false. Talent begins with brief, powerful encounters that spark motivation by linking your identity to a high-performing person or group. This is called ignition, and it consists of a tiny, world-shifting thought lighting up your unconscious mind: "I could be them." That's the introduction to Daniel Coyle's The Little Book of Talent , a cool book filled with 52 easy, proven methods to improve almost any skill. It's a great guide; in just a few minutes you'll think, Oh, wow , several times. Here's an example. You want to get better at something. At anything. Just going through the practice motions provides l