Cultivating Skill Development: The Paramount Meta-Skill for Adaptability

Key Quotes

"I think one of the best things you can do for yourself now and in this new year is working on skills, and not just any skills, but the skill of skills. The ability for you to do things, whatever those things need to be, whatever the newness is, the challenge, the difficulty, the new mountain to climb, for you to be able to say, whatever that thing is and whatever season of life you're in, you can just say yes to it and just kind of step your feet in, dip your toe in the water, just say, "You know what? I'm not good at this thing. I need to get better at it, and the only way I'm ever going to get better at it is to say yes to it." And saying yes when you kind of suck at it, right? When you're not your best, and yet here you are doing your thing, making it happen."

Jeff Sanders argues that the most valuable skill to cultivate is the ability to learn and develop new skills. He emphasizes that embracing challenges and saying "yes" to new endeavors, even when one is not yet proficient, is crucial for growth. This perspective suggests that skill development is less about innate talent and more about a willingness to engage and improve.

"This particular skill came about in large part because I deleted my Twitter account where I saw most of the online hate at the time. It's now everywhere else in the world as well, but I personally needed to leave that platform, and so I did. And the skill that I have developed in large part is abstinence, removing myself from the conversation literally, because that was the best way for me to not be part of that, to not be tempted to do that anymore."

Jeff Sanders explains that developing the skill to avoid online arguments was achieved through a deliberate act of abstaining from a platform where such interactions were frequent. He highlights that removing oneself from tempting situations is a practical strategy for managing behavior and preventing engagement in unproductive activities. This illustrates that skill development can involve strategic avoidance and self-discipline.

"And this is the amazing part to me that I can't seem to even today, even discussing this concept, I can't seem to fully grasp just how pervasive this is, because it is. We believe the wrong things. We believe untrue things about ourselves and our abilities, and if we give ourselves the credit we deserve, we can do so much more. And sure, drywalling is a very basic example of this, but why not? It's a great example of this because I believed I couldn't, or that it was too hard, or that there these pros that I would watch online, these YouTube videos would do such a good job. Surely they know things I don't, or have skills I'd have to work on for years to master. Not true. I basically mastered to the best of my abilities what I wanted out of drywalling in a couple of months, and now my house looks way better."

Jeff Sanders reflects on how ingrained, untrue beliefs about personal limitations can hinder potential. He uses his experience with drywalling as an example, noting that he overcame a perceived inability by challenging his own narrative and dedicating himself to learning the skill. Sanders suggests that recognizing and discarding false self-perceptions is key to unlocking greater capabilities.

"When all of your excuses disappear, all you are left with is responsibility. One more time. When all of your excuses disappear, all you are left with is responsibility. In other words, we love to make excuses. We love to say, "Here's why I can't. Here's all the reasons why this thing is too difficult, too much, it's never going to happen," right? The laundry list of why you are a victim, which ultimately is the role that you're playing if that's what you're going to be laying out as all the reasons why you can't do something."

Jeff Sanders posits that the elimination of excuses directly leads to an acceptance of responsibility. He describes how people often create extensive lists of reasons why they cannot achieve something, framing themselves as victims. Sanders implies that by confronting and discarding these excuses, individuals are left with the clear understanding that they are accountable for their own future and actions.

"The very first step in this is to commit to learning new things on a daily basis. And yes, of course, that's reading. It's audiobooks. It's podcasts like this one. It is setting aside 30 minutes a day to practice something you want to improve, a foreign language, learn the guitar, right? Learn something that you think is valuable and take time on a daily basis to commit to knowledge. Gaining knowledge is actually the first step to skill development because it's really hard to get better at something if you don't know how to do it."

Jeff Sanders outlines the initial step for making skill development a daily practice: a commitment to daily learning. He emphasizes that this involves actively seeking knowledge through various mediums like reading, audiobooks, and podcasts, and dedicating time to practice. Sanders explains that acquiring knowledge is foundational, as it provides the necessary understanding to begin developing any new skill.