Summary

The author learns the importance of full commitment and consistent effort in achieving mastery, inspired by their partner's journey to becoming a skilled singer.

Abstract

The article recounts a personal experience where the author's partner shares the story of her transformation from a poor singer to someone who can captivate an audience. Her partner's dedication to singing, despite initial challenges, serves as a catalyst for the author to reflect on their own half-hearted approach to writing. Drawing on Malcolm Gladwell's concept of "Outliers" and the necessity of investing thousands of hours into a craft, the author emphasizes that true success comes from fully committing to one's passion and being consistent in one's efforts. The piece concludes with the author's realization that to excel in writing, one must not only admire the success of others but also embrace the process and commitment required to achieve similar results.

Opinions

The author believes that excuses are a hindrance to success and that individuals who are successful find ways to overcome obstacles.
Writing success is attributed to consistency and full commitment rather than external factors like algorithm changes on writing platforms.
The author suggests that passion and commitment are reciprocal; by giving oneself fully to a desire, one can achieve mastery and reap the rewards.
There is an admiration for successful writers who are not recognized for the extensive behind-the-scenes work they invest in their craft.
The author acknowledges a societal tendency to desire immediate results without appreciating the necessity of the process and commitment involved in achieving excellence.
The article posits that the teachings of Jesus align with the idea that the effort one puts into an endeavor is directly proportional to what one receives in return.

My Partner Showed Me The Secret To Thrive

The best advice I ever heard.

“I couldn’t sing even though my life depended on it.”

My girlfriend’s encouraging me to continue singing. I think am awful. She thinks I’m just learning.

Among many things she’s capable of, one she’s most grateful for is being able to sing.

“You needed to see me back then.” She said. “My voice was bad. Really bad. Looking back, it wasn’t an easy journey. I lost my voice so much that I couldn’t remember what my voice sounded like. And today, the way I sound when I talk is due to the ‘I’ll-sing or die trying’ determination I had.”

To her, it’s a testimony that today she not only can sing fabulously but can move an audience with zero preparation.

“I think everything comes down to being completely sold out to what it is you set your mind to. Invest yourself fully. Invest hours upon hours daily on what it is you want. For whatever it is you give yourself to, gives itself to you.” She said.

Her words made me reflect on my own writing career, and how half-assedly I’ve been going about it. Yet, like many writers I’ve seen, I blamed the platform’s algorithm change. I agree that medium’s change isn’t all cool. But it’s fair to ask, ‘is Medium’s change enough to make you a failure?

Are our life’s unfair circumstances really enough to make us a failure? Or is that down to us to decide?

Excusers will find excuses. And if they can’t find one, they’ll make one. While writers will write even if algorithms change. Those who win, always find a way. It’s the secret to their winning.

It’ll be nice if it was a lot easier. But it isn’t. Reality sometimes isn't friendly. And we must learn to deal with it.

I clearly saw where I was failing through my girlfriend’s words. And it made me realize that if writing hasn’t been productive, then it’s because I haven’t yet given myself to the art — completely.

In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell talked about The Beatles, John Lennon, Bill Gates, etc….., individuals he nicknamed after the title of the book, Outliers.

He wrote that these people all had a remarkable life, an incredible career, and an unbelievable impact on the world, yet they really aren’t more special than any one of us.

In over four hundred pages, Gladwell debunks in detail the secrets of these super successful individuals. ‘‘The secret,’’ he said, ‘‘was in their ability to spend thousands of hours on their craft.’’

In other words, they gave themselves to their career — their passion.

And that passion gave itself back to them.

I know there is a million piece of advice on how to write better. But I have just one for you; ‘commit fully to writing consistently.’ There’s no better advice on how to become a very good writer, other than consistency.

We experience the fullness of our desire only when we fully commit and show up daily.

Whether it’s in a relationship, we can never fully know our partner or where our relationship can take us if we don’t fully commit.

It could be you’re not fully committed to your new job. But you’ll never know what doors of opportunity that work environment could open if you do work wholeheartedly.

Commitment, I’ve come to learn, creates depth. Mastery, therefore, is simply marrying commitment to consistency.

It’s easy to admire the impressive writers on this platform, the likes of Michael Thompson, Abena Talks, Zulie Rane, or Yana Bostongirl. But what we don’t see is their behind-the-scene. We do not see the work they put in. The hundreds of hours they clock every week.

Sadly, we’re a generation that wants the result without the process. We celebrate competence but scowl at commitment. And that includes me.

I’m reminded of the words of Jesus that fit this rhetoric, “With the same measure you make, it shall be measure back unto you.”

We receive what we give, whether on this platform, in our jobs, or in our relationships.

Looking back, I took something invaluable from the conversation with my girlfriend, and am giving it to you; “if you give yourself to your desire, it’ll give itself back to you.