There’s a Spanish saying that goes: “Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo.” It essentially means: “The devil knows more because he’s old, not because he’s the devil.” In other words ... with age comes wisdom.
Makes sense, doesn’t it? Regardless of what you do, each time you do it, you learn what works and what doesn’t. In theory, past experiences should make you better. Of course, that assumes you’re observant and you want to improve.
So why do a lot of people with years of “experience” tend to perform as if they’re still beginners? Do they lack observation skills? Or ... do they lack the motivation to change and make improvements?
Although all of us want to get paid more for what we do, not everybody strives to make their contribution more valuable. They get complacent and end up stuck in the same gear day after day, year after year.
So what about you?
Sure, you work hard. You even work long hours. But ... are you getting any better?
Compared to last year at this time, how much better are you performing your job? Are you paying attention to what works and what doesn’t? More importantly, do you do anything about it?
It’s amazing how talented pro athletes are at such a young age, isn’t it? And yes, pro sports is completely different from most people’s careers. While many of us are just starting to hit our stride in our 30s and 40s, most professional athletes are already retired from their sport by then.
Regardless of their age, pro athletes are laser-focused on their goals and typically reach the pinnacle of their career early in life. Of course, their window of opportunity is extremely short.
If they want to be successful, they have to focus on nutrition and physical conditioning, learn their assignments for every play and perform well on game day. Ultimately, if pro athletes don’t continue to improve, their careers will soon be over.
Although the clock is always ticking, fortunately, your window of opportunity is still larger than ever. Each new day presents another chance to see what works and what doesn’t. You can choose to either get comfortable or continue to learn and improve. In the end, the experience you have depends on you. PD
Tom Wall
Dairy Coach
Dairy Interactive, LLC
