Work smarter, not harder:

Dan knows that the “10,000 hour rule” is nice but you need to align your effort with the way your brain was designed to learn.

Hours are vital but you can get to mastery faster — much faster — by practicing the right way.

If You Only Remember Two Words From This...

Dan says the two key words are “Reach” and “Stare.”

Reach: Always push yourself to the edge of your ability.

Stare: Look at those better than you and emulate them.

Read more: http://time.com/59658/8-things-the-most-successful-people-do-that-make-them-great/

2) Stop Reading. Start Doing.

Keep the “Rule of Two-Thirds” in mind. Spend only one third of your time studying.

The other two-thirds of your time you want to be doing the activity. Practicing. Testing yourself.

Get your nose out of that book. Avoid the classroom. Whatever it is you want to be the best at, be doing it.

The closer your practice is to the real thing, the faster you learn.

Read more: http://time.com/59658/8-things-the-most-successful-people-do-that-make-them-great/

6) Naps Are Steroids For Your Brain

Napping isn’t for the lazy. It’s one of the habits of the most successful people in any field.

Sleep is essential to learning. Naps are a tool that will make you the best.

More on how astronauts use sleep to increase performance here.

7) Keep a Notebook

Eminem keeps a journal. Peyton Manning keeps a journal.

Top performers track their progress, set goals, reflect and learn from their mistakes.

Here’s Dan:

Most people who are taking an ownership role in their talent development use this magical tool called a notebook. Keep a performance journal. If you want to get better, you need a map, and that journal is that map. You can write down what you did today, what you tried to do, where you made mistakes. It’s a place to reflect. It’s a place to capture information. It’s a place to be able to track your progress. It’s one of the most underused yet powerful tools that I could imagine anybody using.

More on how to use a notebook to be your best here.

Sadly, you weren’t born an expert.

But you can become one with practice and time. Start now. 

You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve:

Read more: 

http://time.com/59658/8-things-the-most-successful-people-do-that-make-them-great/