I’ll start this post by saying, many of the following statements may contradict advice I’ve given in the past. Some of you may agree and disagree with the words that follow, all of which are based on something I’ve gained over the past several years. Experience.
You either have it or you don’t. There’s no adequacy in between experienced and inexperienced. The latter of which I’ve advocated on many occasions and still have a small portion of beliefs allocated for.
I, you, and we, will only have the opportunity in our lifespan to embark on 0.1% of the World. There isn’t enough time in the day, money in our pockets, capacity in our brains, or stamina in our bodies to attempt everything, and gain experience while doing so.
There’s nothing wrong with that. We were put on this planet to pick and chose different elements of life, work, family, and whatnot that add up to our 0.1%. We do so over the course of our lives and even swap some of them here and there. You may change your career, your spouse, your location, or your beliefs. Still, in the end, you’ve only gained a minute amount of experience.
That E word was something I underestimated and under-appreciated for the majority of my life. Like most youth, especially males, I always turned my nose at the adults and all their advice. Some of it would sub-consciously adhere to me, without acknowledgement, but I’d interpret most of the “words of wisdom� as aged folk tales that don’t apply to present day.
Like the title of this post, and the song from which it’s taken, there usually comes a point in one’s life where you understand how significant hindsight is to foresight. If only there were a manual on life that your parents could have given you to read while on recess in preschool.
But yes, it has taken a few days over 23 years, and quite a bit of that good ‘ol hindsight, for me to realize how important experience is.
Eric is nearly done his new home. When you’re in a similar situation — would you rather hire an individual that got his contractor license a few days ago, or one that’s been in the business for a decade and built 140 homes?
Same with a doctor, designer, pilot, mechanic, chef, musician, model, and on, and on, and on…
Another term that almost all of us strive to associate with ourselves in some realm, is derived from experience — and that is EXPERT.
When you’ve reached the point in life where you’re labeled, introduced, and identified as an expert, you’ve essentially hit a peak of achievement in your position. This point is the result of nothing more and nothing less than experience.
There are several levels of experience that extend across nearly everything. Each of which are represented by periods in our lives and are synonymous with most of the World.
They may be symbolized through a diploma, a paycheque, a figure of measure, a retirement ceremony, etc… Whatever the event, it marks a level of progression in the journey of experience and declares the fact that you’ve gained a certain amount of wisdom through your actions.
Experience enables you to progress in life and achieve the rewards that come with it.
There does come a point where experience can be a detrimental asset. With experience comes expectations — in earnings, responsibilities, and authority. When the peak of experience is reached in an industry, it can often be difficult to migrate to another industry if need be, at the same level.
Your expectations may be shattered if you have to start at the bottom of the ladder. That’s something you can’t plan for and can only react to.
So deciding on the 0.1% you want to be labelled as an expert for while you’re still a young go getter, is an enormously important process. For indecisive individuals, that process can last their entire lives. They live with regret and fail to plan for the future. Others fast-track and have a detailed roadmap in their perspective at all times.
As the New Year approaches, make it a priority to determine what type of expert you’d like to be, and the different elements you need to focus on to gain the required experience.
Heck, if it helps, loop the chorus of Ronnie Lane’s “Ooh La La� all day long. :)
(Note: 88% of 23 doctors say that closing a blog post with a smiley face results in more positive comments than without)
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