“You’re not proficient unless you’re contributing with it” – Michael Hyatt
How you define things is extremely important and I absolutely loved this definition and interpretation of proficiency. This was from Michael Hyatt and it shed light on so many things for me.
Proficiency isn’t just about knowing something well, in-depth and being very good at something; you need to be contributing with it as well. That’s a big part of being proficient. Proficiency is when other people are being impacted with your work. Proficient work adds value to others; if you’re not contributing, you’re not proficient yet. Get your reps in, master your craft and most importantly share your craft. Let others be moved with your work.
Skill + Contribution = Proficiency
Another major key for me in this interpretation is that proficiency is present, proficiency is current. It only matters in this moment. You may have been proficient with something in the past, contributing to the world in that moment, but are you contributing today? That’s to ask are you still proficient today? If not, then what are you truly proficient at today?
There was a time, not long ago, about 18months from this writing date, I was proficient at training and running a health & nutrition business with my fiancé. With a 200 clients, and approximately 40-50 main active clients whom we contributed to their lives daily, weekly and monthly year-in and year-out for that 3 year period. Today, I no longer contribute to them with my 1-on-1 and small group services, therefor no matter how skilled I may believe and still feel I am, I am currently not proficient in these services. You can’t be proficient at something you’re not doing or contributing with.
When you contribute, you add value, you create solutions, when you do so you’ll be rewarded because doing so for others and the world is lucrative in every sense of the word. You earn much in every way, internally it’s fulfilling, builds strength, confidence, relationships, love, growth and people are paid money for adding value.
If you’re not sure of what to purse, what to be proficient in or where to contribute; the best thing you can do is find a problem the world has, a problem your neighborhood, city or nation has and create a solution for it. The world needs you to be proficient at problem-solving & creating solutions is the best value you can bring.
This might sound stupid, but try changing your profession title and response to “What do you do?” from “I’m work for ‘this company’ as a “this role/ title given to me” to, “I’m a Problem-solver. I find and create (these type of solutions; 1 of your specialties) for people (target market) who want to accomplish (this end goal), but have this challenge (the problem you’re solving).
Ex: “I find and create gourmet 100% plant-based meals for people who want to eat & live a healthy lifestyle, but have some challenges accomplishing it because of their current work/life schedules.”
It’s not complicated, it’s simple and much more powerful and inspiring (for yourself & to others) than, “I am a chef, I make plant-based meals for people”. Both are true and to the point, one is just richer in painting a picture, connecting people to your passion, and clarifying for yourself & for others. You’re speaking proficiently about your proficiency. Be proficient, show and tell the world to whom you’re contributing, how and why you’re contributing to them. You decide what you want to contribute to the world, create systems and develop your skills, become proficient.
If you can’t create the solution, guide others to where they will find the solution, (that’s also a skill, that’s also of value) and be proficient at that.
“It’s what you offer the world that the world rewards” – Michael Hyatt
Generate results. This whole post was inspired by Michael Hyatt’s book “Free to focus” I recently read; he states about being proficient, “…You’re not only skilled at something, you’re also generating results that other people can measure and reward”.
I’m a firm believer that the best things in life cannot truly be measured. There’s no true scale to measure the love you have for your child, the love you have for your spouse after all you’ve grown through. You can’t measure someone’s determination or conviction. You can’t measure someone’s belief, you can’t measure someone’s spirit or spiritual capacity. It sure doesn’t stop us from trying though. Better yet, it doesn’t stop us from “Judging” it. That’s how we “try” to measure it; we compare it to our own preference, no actual set criteria. There’s no way to actually measure it, so we judge the unmeasurable to satisfy our desires & understandings of it.
Now even with that said, when you are proficient you find ways to “generate results that other people can measure and reward”. How do you measure your results? Is it a number? Is it an action or behavior? How do you measure that action and behavior? Whatever it is, it must be measured in order to be rewarded.
My eldest brother, who taught me about training and servicing people; which led me to create my first business, used to always say “What gets measured, gets managed”.
One of my favorite thoughts from is, what are you managing for? Well I’ll quote Rick Ross and say, “I manage to multiply, I multiply what I manage.”
As a proficient professional in your field you’re responsible to set your criteria to which your results will be measured and rewarded. You set your standards, put your systems in place to reach your goals, generate results, add value, contribute, let your work be fulfilling and may the world benefit from it and reward you for your proficiency.
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