When do we become a pro?

When do we become a pro?

2 personal stories that made me feel terrible

Yesterday I had two incidents that made me think about it. 

She joined VAMIGLE team just a few weeks ago but learnt so much already. A virtual assistant from my team did a minor mistake and I was trying to explain her how to do the task in a way that we, at VAMIGLE, would perceive it, with an excellence and best version of ourselves. I also always add that mistakes will happen, but it should happen just once. If a mistake happens just once or twice it’s a learning, if it happens for the third time it’s a recklessness. After explaining all that to her, I received a response that was rather pessimistic. She responded with a statement: I want faster to be a help rather than a burden. 

It made me feel really bad.

The second time I caught myself in a similar feeling was when a young mom approached me on social media asking if I can help her become a virtual assistant as she has been exploring this career lately. I responded asking her where is she right now in the journey of reaching this career path, what did she do before and how her career was going on up till now. She was pessimistically straightforward: I’m on the huge zero right now. And just as a side information she crumbled that she was working as an HR supervisor in UK before, at the moment she is studying management. AND! Besides that, she's just got a baby. 

I'm not enough... but wait!

These two experiences made me think about what do we expect ourselves to be in the current status in order to feel that we are a pro, that we are ready. I know very well myself very often I judge and punish myself repeating in my head those limiting beliefs that I’m not enough. 

I don’t know enough. 

I don’t do enough.

I don’t care enough. 

…

But if we just look back and see how much we’ve already done. How much have we learnt on the way to reach where we are at a the moment and what amazing things we’ve done in the past. Some time ago we didn’t know so much of what we know right now. True?

Unfortunately, not being where we want to be to the perfection makes us disappointed and discouraging. 

But just think for a second. 

How did it happen? How were you able to do it all: to be where you are right now, to know what you know right now? There are still thousands who don’t know as much as you do, who did not experience what you did. 

Yes, it takes time but it’s all possible.

On the other had, let’s think what do we vision, what do we desire, what do we seek? We need to understand that we are in the process to get there.

5 comparisons between a pro and amateur

So to both of them I said:

You’ve already done so much and achieved great things. What’s even more important you've never stopped. You are still doing it, seeking for it. And this is what shows that you at the pro level already!

I really like these 5 comparisons Mayo Oshin describes between a pro and amateur:

1. Amateurs wait to feel inspired. Professionals stick to a schedule.
2. Amateurs focus on goals. Professionals focus on habits.
3. Amateurs strive to achieve, professionals strive to improve. 
4. Amateurs stall after failure. Professionals grow after failure.
5. Amateurs live for opinions. Professionals live for the truth.

A pro is not that one who thinks that (s)he knows already everything and is afraid to do a mistake. A pro is that one who is constantly learning, seeking to know more but at the same time is enjoying the process and knows that with a specific amount of time, resources and belief (s)he will be able to reach that goal and then another.

My wish to you and myself

So I wish you get into momentum, appreciate where you are right now, enjoy the process and be a pro, not an amateur.