Doing things you’re not good at is good for you...

Scientists used to believe that human brains lost their elasticity at about the age of 35 or so. They were unable to determine why exactly it just showed up as a consistent figure for all the brains they happened to test. Until one day they discovered something miraculous...

It turns out that the brain doesn’t lose elasticity at all, at least it doesn’t need to. Rather, the brain stops retaining elasticity when it no longer needs to, or more precisely when you stop using it (to learn new things that is.)

It’s not that we simply go brain dead and stop using our brains altogether (though arguably some do...) It’s that essentially we stop learning new things that truly challenge our minds and affect the brain chemistry the way challenging problem solving does.

Steven Covey notes in “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” that adults should continue learning new things to the point of frustration. You remember when you first started learning the job you’re now in (or you’re still in and can identify with this more readily)? Everything felt a little challenging, even to the point of being overwhelming simply because everything was new. That’s the kind of brain exercise we need to give ourselves, and regularly.

What are the primary reasons we stop growing in a way that retains our brains elasticity?

1. It’s not that fun (in the short term)
2. We don’t have to...

It’s great to be really good at something and feel like you’ve got it down pat. That’s a great feeling and one I’ve experienced many times over in my career. At the same time, it’s important that we challenge ourselves even when our jobs or bosses aren’t. It could be learning a foreign language, picking up a new sport, hobby, or skill. Whatever the case may be, we need to hit that point of frustration and then be able to work through it to succeed.

The thing I’m learning now that’s really difficult is live webinars, especially ones that involve selling. I don’t like “selling” to people, I’d rather just educate them. The problem is if you just educate people and they don’t buy your product (provided its good) then you won’t be doing them a favor long term. You’ve given them some good tips, but not the complete tools, resources or information they need for long-term success.

I’m very comfortable pitching to clients one-on-one over the phone, I’ve probably done it a hundred times. So it’s no surprise that for the webinars (I’ve only done a handful to date) it’s not quite as polished or doesn’t feel as smooth to me as it could. That’s when I have to remember that there are lots of things I didn’t used to feel comfortable doing that I feel completely comfortable doing now. Amazon used to frustrate me every time I logged in and now I’m pretty much an expert at it and know it like the back of my hand (an odd expression, but it works.)

We get better by doing things plain and simple. And while there’s a part of me that doesn’t like the “selling” part I also know that the more I practice and the more comfortable I am the less like selling it will feel. Selling shouldn’t be anything more than telling people the truth with confidence anyways. I spoke with a prospective client several months back and after I went through my spiel he said, “Wow, you’re a really good salesmen. I hope you’re as good as you say you are.” My response was, “Actually, I’m a terrible salesman, I’m just really good at what I do.” They signed.

There’s a part of me that’s scared or nervous that if I get “really good” at selling it means I’ll be more and more like a used car salesman, using his cliche pitches in the parking lot surrounded by ridiculous balloons with slicked back hair. But the truth is that I don’t feel that way when I sell my services now. I just understand peoples problems and I’m offering to solve them better than anyone else can for a price point and they respect that (and I follow through...)

What I have to remember is this: the reason I feel uncomfortable and want to quit is because it’s new, and it’s hard. What I have to remember is that by gaining evaluated experience (that is, going back and learning something new every time I do it) I’ll become more comfortable, more confident and be able to offer more value to more people, make more profit and have greater influence all without sacrificing my character or integrity. Then, when the time comes I’ll have to go and learn something else new... Maybe pinochle or croquet.

Reference "What It Takes To Change Your Brain’s Patterns After Age 25" FastCompany.