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Do you want to become an expert? Almost everyone would say yes. Experts earn more and have the respect of their peers. So how do you become an expert?

Several books have been written on the subject of expertise and mastery. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Mastery by Robert Greene are examples of books that do a great job in explaining how those who are perceived to be the best in their fields got to that position.

In other to gain expertise, you must change your lifestyle and start to see yourself as the best. The mind is a powerful tool in achieving anything in life. If you want to be an expert, then you must have the mindset of an expert.

Focus is also needed in achieving mastery. A clichéd saying goes thus: “Jack of all trades, Master of none”. Gaining expertise in most fields is difficult and requires extra dedication. So you must focus on one field. Even then, you must focus on one aspect of your goal at a time so that you don’t become overwhelmed by the complexity of the tasks you need to achieve.

Experts are people who have learnt from the experience of others. As an aspiring expert, you must read widely. Consume books so you can gain knowledge. Model successful people in your field. One of the surest ways of achieving success is to model people who have been successful.

Apart from reading books, you should seek mentors who would be able to give you the advice you need to become an expert. Reading is learning and learning would never be enough. You need to take action. Learn from the experience of others and take action.

Deliberate practice is another habit that you need to take up. You should practice your skills at a higher level and continually challenge yourself to do better. While working on your goals, you should ensure that you learn from your previous efforts, set specific goals and follow accurate feedback.

Malcolm Gladwell popularized the 10000 hour rule where he says that on average it takes 10000 hours of practice for someone to become an expert. 10000 hours is 40 hours every week for five years. That is a lot of work. So if your goal is to become an expert, then you must be ready to work hard. And work smart too. Just doing the same thing over and over again for 10000 hours would not magically help you achieve mastery. You must challenge yourself to improve always.

On a final and most important note, most people fail to achieve mastery because they enter sectors or industries that they have no interest in. this means they are unlikely to stick along for the needed time to become an authority in that field.

If you want to become an expert, embrace your passion. You will be more likely to do the work needed to achieve your goal.