In our series of discovering yourself, we have shared several other ways of self-discovery, which include your background, and past and present experiences. In this series, we will be focusing on training and Skills, as tools for self-discovery. You sharpen your skills through training and constant exercise. Remeber these are excepts from my book, you can always buy this book from amazon here.
Your Training
You may have had several trainings based on interest or in the line of the work you do. From the story of the Ultimate Survival series I shared in your past experience. This training might be of immense value to some other people. I, for example, have attended several trainings both local and international, some were even online and free. These trainings have pointed out some skills I could offer without stress. So, go through your training and see the ones you have been applying over time. I have trained several people on how to write proposals, finance, project management, and how make presentations. All this I was able to do because of some of the trainings I have attended. The story of Serena Williams below buttresses the importance of training.
Serena Williams, born September 26, 1981, found her passion at the age of three (3) after starting intensive training supported by her father who was also her coach then. She continued training and playing until 1999, that’s 15 years later when she won her major title, becoming one of the youngest players to win a major title. Since then she has gone ahead to win over 37 titles including singles and doubles, this is one of the biggest feats achieved by any single woman tennis player, she was ranked No.1 in Women Tennis Association (WTA) in 2018.
Serena found her passion through training and since then has been very consistent. She is a very diligent trainer. Your training can be a pointer to who you are and your capabilities. Take Cristiano Ronaldo as another example; he trained hard daily to become one of the world’s greatest footballers, winning the FIFA Ballon d’Or four times. I could give examples of so many other athletes and professionals who trained hard to reach the peak of their careers and become well known all over the world.
As a trainer and coach, I have come to realise that my trainings make up some of the products I develop for my company today. Your training means you have been equipped with information and potential tools to succeed in that endeavor or field. Training is an information dishing period and it helps you become better in taking critical decisions. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book, “the Outliers” he mentioned the ten-thousand-hour rule. He said from research those who have worked on something or trained in a particular field become professionals after they have worked in that field for ten- thousand- hours. Training makes you an expert in that field, don’t take it for granted. Train like your life depends on it, through training you can develop that innate potential and fire them to live.
Your Skills
Check out those skills you apply without stress, those things you do seemingly effortlessly and better than most people. They are strong pointers to who you are, don’t take them lightly, instead, take them seriously. Take football, for example, Lionel Messi was discovered to be very skillful at an early age. And today he is one of the best things to have happened to football in the 21st century. Below is his story as told here: Lionel Messi was born on 24 June 1987, in Rosario, Argentina to a working-class family. His father was a factory steel worker, and his mother a cleaner.
He began playing from an early age, and his talent was soon apparent. However, at the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with growth 20 hormone deficiency (GHD). This was a condition that stunted growth and required expensive medical treatment, including the use of the drug Human growth hormone. His local club, River Plate was interested in signing Messi but didn’t want to pay for his medical treatment. However, Messi was given a trial with Barcelona, and Coach CarlesRexach was impressed – offering Messi a contract, which included paying for Messi’s treatment in Spain. Messi moved to Barcelona with his father and became part of the prestigious FC Barcelona youth academy.
“I made a lot of sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream. That’s why I didn’t go out partying, or do a lot of other things.” – Lionel Messi
Messi progressed through the ranks and was given his first appearance in the 2004/05 seasons, becoming the youngest player to score a league goal. In 2006, Messi was part of the double-winning team which won both La Liga (Spanish League) and the Champions League. By the next season, (2006-07) aged just 20, Messi was the first-choice striker and an essential part of the Barcelona team – scoring 14 goals in 26 league games.
In the 2009-10 season, Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo’s record total for Barcelona. As the seasons progressed, Messi kept improving and breaking his own records. In the calendar year 2012, he broke the all-time world record for most goals scored in a calendar year. His final total of goals in 2012 was 91 – beating the previous record of 85 by German Gerd Muller, and Pele’s milestone of 75 in 1958. This is what Gerd Muller said about him:
“My record stood for 40 years 85 goals in a year and now the best player in the world has broken it, and I’m delighted for him. He is an incredible player, gigantic.”
In today’s world, you can’t even survive without a critical skill. That is why you must discover what they are, or train to acquire one. Skills are the differentiating factor in today’s workforce and they determine the level you operate in any society or group. You are valued based on your skills and the value you add to people and organizations.
Develop your skills by training.
To your Success
Lawrence Obi
