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Editorial Reviews

“The Power of Slow is a life-changing book. Far from stating the obvious, Christine Hohlbaum provides new insights and persuasive arguments for reshaping our time and changing our lives for the better. A must read in our over-scheduled world!”–Wendy Walker, author of Social Lives, Four Wives, and Chicken Soup for the Soul – Power Moms

“In the fast-paced world of Blackberrys, Iphones, and Twitter, it’s hard to find one’s footing. In an easy-to-read style, Ms. Hohlbaum has described a process of slowing down that is so very important to our wholeness, balance, and well being. She does so in a poetic and sometimes humorous way. She has captured a heavy topic with a light touch and yet we learn many lessons.  I highly recommend this book to help anyone who wants to stay healthy, sane, and enjoy life more fully.”–Bonnie Michaels, work-life balance expert and author of Solving the Work/Family Puzzle and A Journey of Work-Life Renewal

Product Description

Getting to the heart of our hassled and over-scheduled existence, Christine Louise Hohlbaum cheerfully investigates 101 ways to increase our quality of life and productivity by reevalu ating how we perceive and use time. She claims that everyone has their own personal bank account of time. We cannot control time itself, but we can manage the activities within the time we do have. The Power of Slow gives readers practical, concise directions to change the relationship they have with time and debunks the myths of multitasking, speed, and urgency as the only ways to efficiency.

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And what about the little things? The children who put their breakfast dishes in the sink? The spouse who lets you sleep in on Sundays? The neighbor who always has that extra egg you seem to run out of?

How often do you say “thank you” to these gifts in your life? Sometimes we start to take people for granted and expect them to be there for us. But think about how you feel when someone tells you how much they appreciate you. Doesn’t it make you want to do more because you know they really noticed what you did? It’s not that anyone does nice things for others for the praise. They do it because they want to. But your appreciation is the least you can do to pay them back. And it really motivates people to do even more.

“Thank You” are the two most powerful words there are. Some people wait until Thanksgiving to share with others all that they are grateful for. Why not make every day Thanksgiving? How would your life be enriched if you told at least one person a day how much you value them? What if you sent out at least one thank you card a week? How would that make you feel? Not to mention how the receiver would feel.

When we look for ways to say “thank you” each day, it also keeps us focused on noticing what is right in our world and what we are thankful for. That in itself is a worthwhile endeavor. Most of us spend far too much time focusing on our problems, so when you look for reasons to give thanks, you’ll find a lot more of them. And maybe even draw more of them to you. Saying “thank you” reminds us of all the good things that are in our lives and opens us to receiving more.

It might be fun to make this a family ritual. Every night before bed, each family member could tell each of the others one thing they appreciate about them. It can be as small as “thanks for giving me your dessert” or as big as “thanks for walking me home from school.” And when you’re washing up before climbing into bed, how about looking in the mirror and saying “thank you” to yourself? What could you say to yourself to show how much you value yourself? “I love you, thank you for being you.” “You did a great job today. Thank you.”

Notice how you feel when you thank others and especially when you thank yourself. They’re only two little words, but they are so powerful, especially when they come from the heart.

NEWSFLASH: I’ve added another chapter to my life by joining C.A.S.T. Recovery, a Los Angeles based outpatient drug rehab program which specializes in designing highly individualized recovery plans with appropriate professionals to support a client’s health, accountability, and success.

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It sounds strange to imagine someone not really knowing who they are, what they want, or where they’re going. But it’s not all that uncommon for many people to be pretty clueless about themselves.

Have you ever asked someone what their life passions were, only to have them give you a blank stare? Or do you ever remember being asked to define your purpose in life, only to answer that you didn’t realize you had one?

I think it’s really sad how many of us go through lives being out of touch with the deeper part of ourselves. Oh sure, most of us know what foods we like, what leisure activities we enjoy, and maybe what our favorite color is. But for the most part, so many people muddle through life unconscious of their deepest needs, desires, and gifts.

Of course, there are some who have awakened to the realization that they are more than their physical body, more than their thoughts, and that there’s more to life than what their five senses report to them. However, these folks are the minority, although an ever-growing segment of the population.

If you want to join that group to enrich your life and live fully 100%, consider beginning your own adventure of self-exploration. What do I mean by that? Mostly, I see it as taking time to tune out the outside world, and tune into your inner world. Yes, there is a world inside of each of us, one that I imagine is even vaster than the world outside. As far as we can imagine reaching into outer space, I believe we can reach that far into inner space.

Why would anyone decide to take this journey? What motivates those who seem to be on a continuous self-exploration voyage? I think it boils down to a certain level of dissatisfaction in life. We may set a goal, achieve it, and then find we’re not all done, there are more goals to set and achieve, more “stuff” to acquire.

We always seem to want more, and at some point we realize it’s never enough. Yet, when we delve into that inner world that needs no “stuff” for satisfaction, we may indeed find satisfaction–in just being, rather than doing and having.

The way to begin your self-exploration is by making the decision to do so and then taking the time to embark on the adventure. At first, maybe set aside one hour to start. Ultimately, you will probably want to spend more time on this journey, maybe one hour a day or one day per week or more. Here are some steps you can take on your adventure of self-exploration. Enjoy the journey!

1. Go within.

Some people practice formal meditation, others just sit quietly with eyes closed, for a period of time. The idea is to quiet your mind of the constant barrage of thoughts, and experience a peaceful mind. Experienced meditators report that beyond the mind chatter is the voice of the inner self. When you can listen to your inner self, you will become acquainted with that deeper you–who you are at your core, why you are here, what your highest purpose is.

2. Journal.

After you have quieted your mind for a period of time, open your eyes and write any impressions you have from your journey inside. Did you hear any words of wisdom? Did any of your questions about your life get answered? As you journal on a regular basis, the wisdom you receive will increase, because you will get more and more in touch with this inner part of you.

3. Brainstorm.

You can do this yourself or with close friends or family. Make lists of activities you love, skills you have, values you embrace. Then look for what matters most to you. Doing this will bring you closer to your deeper needs, desires, and purpose. You’ll start to understand what motivates you, what brings you joy, and what you need to do to stay connected to this inner you.

4. Get guidance.

Read a book, work with a guide, take a workshop. Plenty of options are available to direct you on your path to self-exploration. Louise L. Hay, Wayne Dyer, and other popular authors like these have created books and workbooks that show you how to take the journey inside. Do this alone or find a friend or group of people to join you. Find a Meet Up group or contact a local spiritual organization or university.

Whatever path you choose, your adventure of self-exploration will be the greatest adventure of your lifetime.

NEWSFLASH: I’ve added another chapter to my life by joining C.A.S.T. Recovery, a Los Angeles based outpatient drug rehab program which specializes in designing highly individualized recovery plans with appropriate professionals to support a client’s health, accountability, and success.

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In fact, it sometimes seems that teens in their senior year have to be physically tethered to the ground to keep them from floating off the surface of the planet in their desire to be done with high school, their relinquishing of previous worries and their eagerness to start building their new lives. Wouldn’t it be great if you could recapture this feeling again in your own life?

Well, as it turns out, you can. All you have to do is wait, according to a surprising new study on happiness and aging.

Contrary to popular belief, according to this groundbreaking research, “the happiest Americans are the oldest,” These findings come from a study done by a University of Chicago sociologist, Yang Yang. “The good news.” Yang reports, “is that with age comes happiness. Life gets better in one’s perception as one ages.”

(source: http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/04/18/1438786-despite-myth-old-age-is-the-happiest-time-research-says)
The article goes on to say that, “There were ups and downs in overall happiness levels during the study, generally corresponding with good and bad economic times. But at every stage, older Americans were the happiest.”
Apparently, despite public perceptions, seniors are often far happier than their early-adult and midlife compatriots, more content with themselves and more relaxed about life in general. But what factors contribute to this end-of-life enhancing effect?

*Older people tend to be more accepting of their status in life – they are content to have done well and lived a good life, and place less importance on public acclaim, fame or other worldly achievement.

*Differences between race and income level tend to mean less, and therefore create less angst, as people age.

*Seniors may have a smaller social circle as they age, but they tend to socialize more and be less isolated than their busier, career-obsessed counterparts.

*Seniors are under less pressure to perform, and have fewer demands on their time than those in midlife, which creates far less stress and allows for more rest and recreation.

*The push to make a living and create your place in the world has faded by this time in their life – seniors aren’t coasting by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s less social pressure to “be somebody” or “make something of themselves.”

To summarize, older people are more likely to have let go of concerns that harassed them in their earlier lives, they’re more likely to be content with their current life (and looking forward to what’s coming) and they’re more likely to have moved on from previous social constraints and are enjoying their new-found freedoms with the ones they love. In short, they have senioritis.

However, the research is not all good news, especially for those of us still approaching senior age. As it turns out, Baby Boomers were the least happy group in this study. The reason? Unrealistically high expectations. Too many Baby Boomers have swallowed the propaganda that they can do and have it all, and are desperately trying to make that ideal a reality. They’re stressed to the breaking point by trying to be everything to everyone, and worried that they won’t live long enough, or be physically and financially fit enough, to do everything they want to as they move into retirement. Says Duke University aging expert Linda George, “They could end up living the unfortunate old-age stereotype if they can’t let go of their achievement-driven mind-set.”

And of all the lessons this research is trying to teach us, that might just be the hardest one of all.

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In celebration of April Fool’s Day…and of all Spring’s new beginnings, I wanted to encourage you to be a little bit more “foolish” in your life. There is power in daring to be different.

Great advances have never come from the conventionally minded among us. It’s always comes from us idiots who believe in love and freedom and goodness and peace. The fools of today are the visionaries of tomorrow. Those crazy fools of the past gave us electricity, medicine, automobiles, a few trips to the moon and back, not to mention hair dye and microwave dinners. God bless them all. Can you imagine the Wright brothers thinking they could snub the laws of gravity and fly? Think about it. Many of us cower and shrink thinking we’re idiots for believing we can write a screenplay that sells.

Fools dare to be alive, even on a Monday. Fools dare to take off their shoes, turn off the computer and walk outside into the sun.  They know the power, healing, and strength of having fun.  Fools dare to take off their thinking cap and try on their feelings fedora.

Fools dare to try new things and do them badly. Fools dare to rest when they are tired. Fools dare to sing off key and they dare to sing on key in a voice that melts all separation.  Fools dare to wander down interesting paths in their lives, take scenic routes and detours and stuff their bursting satchels with jewels. Fools dare to step into the river beyond the concrete structures of “how it’s always been done,” and allow themselves to be carried onto new and holy ground.

Prudence and conservatism have not advanced our culture. It took the voices on the outskirts to make a noise that changed the world. It’s taken a handful of rabble rousers to vote for women’s rights, freedom from slavery, and to oppose war, hunger, and hatred. It takes fools to raise awareness and fools to raise the bar. It takes fools to stir the hearts of mankind into becoming the great lovers and leaders we are meant to be. Every time we watch the Academy Awards or the Olympics, I think of all the “foolish dreamers” involved who believed they had something in them that deserved commitment, development, and a jostling chance. Every hero begins as fool.

So dare the ridicule of the narrow-minded and dim-sighted. Dare to still believe. Dare to feel.  Dare to trust your guiding light. Dare to ignore gravity and take flight. Dare to be a hero. Dare to be a fool.

©2009 Tama J. Kieves. All rights reserved

www.AwakeningArtistry.com

Tama J. Kieves, an honors graduate of Harvard Law School, left her law practice with a large corporate law firm to write and to embolden others to live and breathe their most meaningful self-expression. She is the best-selling author of THIS TIME I DANCE! Creating the Work You Love/How One Harvard Lawyer Left It All to Have It All

which was chosen as a Finalist for the national Nautilus Book Award, along with the Dalai Lama’s The Art of Happiness.

Kieves is a sought-after speaker and leading career and book coach, who has helped thousands worldwide to discover and launch the life, calling, and business of their dreams. Her dynamic work has been featured on T.V., radio, and in national publications, such as Forbes. Her lectures receive standing ovations and she presents at Canyon Ranch, the six star spa, and is on the faculty of the world-renowned Omega Institute. She is known for her dynamic humor, electrifying presence, “realness,” compassion, and the big possibilities she brings to every room. She offers keynotes, workshops and retreats internationally. She is also an international presenter for A Course in Miracles.

She is currently the founder and president of Awakening Artistry, an organization dedicated to inspiring and supporting a global family of creative souls, visionary minds, daredevil entrepreneurs, and empowered leaders. Visit her popular website at www.AwakeningArtistry.com and sign up to receive her free monthly e-newsletter filled with support for living your best creative life. Download her free transformational report on “Finding Your Calling Now” at www.AwakeningArtistry.com.

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Are you looking for joy only in the good things that happen to you? Are you looking for joy only in the accomplishments and not the journey? Is it hard for you to find joy in your struggles and challenges?

Let’s start with what joy means to you. A common definition is a feeling of satisfaction, contentment, and pleasure. For you joy may even be more exuberant and celebratory or a deep inner connection. Some people feel joy as a more peaceful inner feeling, while others are more outgoing with their joy.

While even others of us are not finding a lot of joy in our lives at all. Not necessarily because our lives are difficult and stressful or we are overwhelmed with responsibilities. Sometimes it’s just because we don’t know where to look for joy or how to find joy. We just don’t seem to have that mindset.

You know that mindset that a lot of us grew up with since our parents lived through the depression. You have to get good grades in school. You have to work hard. You have to make something of yourself. You have to make money and save money. You have responsibilities to your family.

And even when we had achievements and some level of success, we didn’t necessarily get high fives, pats on the back, and congratulations! It was on to striving toward the next achievement. You graduated from high school as valedictorian. You emerged from college with a 4.0 average. You were selected to the top law firm in Chicago. Did you celebrate any of those victories? Did you find the joy in your achievements? If you did, kudos to you. You’re a head above many of the joyless bunch of strivers.

However, if you look at the path of your life, you’ll notice that you spend about 95% of your life on the journey toward your goals, and only 5% in the results, if that much. And if you’re not celebrating the results, you’re most likely not celebrating the journey. And if you looking for joy only in the results, you’re only joyful 5% of your life!

Since most of our lives are spent in the journey, doesn’t it make sense to look for the joy in every day activities as well as the accomplishments at the end of the path? If you were not brought up in an environment that celebrated and found joy in the big as well as little aspects of life, you can turn that around any time. Your joy is in your hands–and mind.

You can now become a joy seeker. Start by noticing what you are grateful for in your life. Can you find the joy in the sun coming through the window each morning? Do you feel joy when you eat a healthy breakfast to start your day? Notice the rewards you get even when you have challenges throughout the day. Can you find joy after settling down an irate client? Are you able to be joyful after you deliver a talk to a tough audience? Is it possible to experience joy while you’re stuck seeking a solution to a major problem?

If you can start finding the joy along the path to your goals, you’ll not only feel better about life and yourself, you’ll probably reach your goals sooner. More circumstances and people who can help you achieve your results will be attracted to your joy. So start looking for joy in all the right places and you’ll attract more joy and feel a lot happier.

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Sunday: Cook up a delicious pot of healthy vegetable soup.

Monday: Pick a cabinet, closet or drawer, and organize it. Search for creative yet economical ways to save more space using what you already own. Ideas: old shoe boxes can hold office supplies. Coffee cans are perfect for loose change. What about those clear plastic salad tubs… they’d work great to fit miscellaneous little bags of spices and other odds and ends around the kitchen. Find a place for everything, and put everything away in its place. Later, you’ll be able to find things when you need them!

Tuesday: Get a card game going. Do a “guys’ night,” “girls’ night,” or a mixed crowd of five or six friends. Serve fun snack foods like a big nacho platter or a layered taco dip. Have your friends bring a six-pack of their favorite beer. Play for pennies or nickels – or even just poker chips if you’re feeling especially frugal. Make it a weekly event, hosted at a different friend’s house each week.

Wednesday: Propose a family cleaning schedule. Write up a chart of weekly and daily chores. Assign a member of the family to each task. Even the little ones can do their part; for example, putting toys away at the end of each day. Decide on a fair amount for allowance money, if you feel that would be a needed incentive. Post the schedule where everyone can see it.

Thursday: Visit your local animal shelter. If you have kids, this is a great way to open their eyes (and remind yourself) of the many wonderful pets out there who are in need of loving homes. Even just a half an hour of volunteer dog-walking will offer companionship to a lonely animal who may need your love.

Friday: Host a homemade pizza and movie night. On your way home from work, swing by the video and grocery stores. Get two fun flicks and a pre-made pizza dough, along with some tasty toppings like green peppers, onions, black olives, mushrooms, pepperoni and sausage. Put the toppings out in little piles, and fire up the oven. Give each friend or family member a hunk of dough and have them roll out and adorn their personal pizza however they like. Bon appetit!

Saturday: Look for local and low-cost entertainment. Plan an educational/cultural outing right in your hometown. Visit a museum or historic home. Explore a botanical garden, herb farm or nearby park or outdoor recreation area. Into games? Go bowling or play a few rounds of mini golf. Have dinner at home to save money!

Other good ideas:

Pick a task that will make the coming week easier. Get up early and shop for the best savings on groceries. Plan the weekly menu around what you buy. If pork chops are on sale, then find some good deals on potatoes, applesauce, and a green vegetable. You get the idea.

Unravel the computer chaos. Maybe you want to set up your files so you can find things more readily. Set up folders on your computer where you can store files – for example, Work, Personal, Finance, Contacts, My Websites, Member Logins, etc. You won’t believe how taking preemptive steps can free up the time you spend searching and over-communicating!

Redirect email traffic. Re-route emails so that client and/or work files flow into one mailbox, e-newsletter subscriptions to another, Facebook and other membership alerts to a third, and so forth.

Finally: remember the old folks. Pick one day out of the week that you can spend a quality visit with grandmom and/or grandpa. If your grandparents are no longer with us, then what about someone else’s grandma or grandpa? We all have busy lives and the elderly are often passed over in the shuffle. Just a half an hour of reading, chatting, crafting, or even just lending a willing ear can really lift the spirits of someone who is elderly and may be feeling alone.

What other ideas do you have for making this week simpler and more meaningful while being frugal with your finances? Leave your comment here on the Slow Down Fast Blog!

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If you live as if life is a foe, you wake up each day expecting the worst. You look around every corner expecting to get hit by a truck. You expect the boss to call you in to fire you rather than give you praise–or a raise. You pick up the phone thinking a friend or relative is sick or has died. You see life as an endless struggle against impossible odds. You’re always complaining and playing victim.

That’s actually how some people perceive life when they think it’s an unfriendly place. And you know how powerful your thoughts and expectations are. So, how much of what happens are you creating if you hold this expectation of doom and gloom? I’d say a fair amount.

Now, if you live as if life is a friend, you are open to positive experiences and have optimistic expectations. And you will draw more of these good things to you. And even if you don’t get exactly what you want, you will still see the universe as a friendly place and know there are good reasons why things turn out as they do. You will be awaiting the next good thing with grace and acceptance.

The amount of joy, happiness, and satisfaction you have in your life is dependent on how you treat life. This is the key to being happier–how you treat life! So why not treat life as if it were your friend. Choose to treat others as you would want them to treat you. Decide to see obstacles as opportunities. Start to see the glass as half full. See if you can be kinder to yourself and others, be more loving to yourself and others, and expect good things and look for the good in everything.

If you practice this regularly, yet find some times when you forget or get sidetracked by life’s challenges, take some time out to write in your journal. Focus on what’s working, what’s good in your life, what you would like more of. Feel the appreciation you have right now for what you are thankful for in your life–friends, family, health, your dog, your home, etc.

Close your eyes and imagine seeing the world as a friendly place. See people coming up to you and smiling and saying, “Hi, great to see you.” Imagine doing work you love and making a lot of money. See yourself at your peak health, exercising joyfully. All you have to do is start to imagine, feel, and then believe that the universe is friendly and you will have that experience. How you treat life is how life treats you, so start treating it right!

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We often hear someone say they’re “happy and fulfilled” at a new job, with a new living situation, even as a new parent. And they surely are, or believe themselves to be, happy and fulfilled.

But I wonder sometimes what we mean by these terms.

Let’s start with happy. Most people use the word “happy” to mean that nothing in their lives is making them “unhappy.” Their lives are pleasurable. They have what they want, they like their lives, and they are, in a word, content.

That’s great, really. Happiness is something we’d all like to have, and which we all strive for. It’s also very elusive, because the pleasure which is the root of what we call “happiness” is usually transitory.

Let’s look at Sarah for a moment. Sarah has just purchased a new car and is very happy. She loves her job, has a good relationship with her husband, and lives in a nice home. She is happy.

But what if a storm comes along, takes out the roof on the house – and drops it on Sarah’s car? She’s not going to be very happy, especially when her husband gets not just mad but spectacularly angry because if Sarah had parked the new car in the garage as he requested, the roof wouldn’t have landed on it.

Now Sarah has gone from happy to unhappy, but chances are that state will change, probably very soon, because happiness is a transitory state, in the sense that most people use the word.

Let’s look at Sarah’s job, though. She says she is very personally fulfilled by her job. Sarah is a social worker, and primary therapist, at a state-run home for mentally challenged children who need round-the-clock care and whose parents were just not able to raise them at home.

Sarah’s job is to make sure that these children remain as emotionally healthy as possible, considering their circumstances. This often involves trying to communicate with children who can communicate only at a very “young” level. When Sarah first took the job, she was overwhelmed by the needs and dependency of the children.

Now she feels there is nothing in the world she would rather do. She had considered going into private counseling, and at one point enrolled in a Ph.D. program, but later decided to stay with her current job. She could make much more money elsewhere, but she believes she has something to offer these children, and she stays because it is “a fulfilling job.”

While this job does not necessarily make Sarah happy, in the sense of always being pleasurable, on a long-term basis being a social worker gives Sarah a deeper sense of having done something worthwhile and made a difference.

Happiness is good. You won’t ever hear me argue that people should not strive to be happy. What you will hear me say is that we should recognize the difference, as our imaginary Sarah does, between happiness and fulfillment. Sarah knows the car is not gong to fulfill her deep needs to make a difference, but she loves to drive it. She also knows there will be days when she leaves work exhausted and even unhappy, but in the long run, she gets more out of her work than she puts in, and she’s fulfilled.

Happiness and fulfillment both have a place in our lives, but they need to be balanced.

To find that balance in your own life:

Spend some time thinking about what would really fulfill you and make you feel you are living toward a purpose.

If you are not currently being fulfilled in your work and life, think about changes you could make that would help you feel fulfilled.

Give yourself a “happiness lift” every week – do something you enjoy, or spend time with someone who makes you feel happy.

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Does a failure-to-success story qualify you? You’ve been there and done that, so now you can show others how to do it! Well that’s one way to qualify.

I must confess that I’m a recovering achievement junkie and that gives me the moral authority to tell you that you can be a recovering achievement junkie too. I know how to do it and you may not… but as the expert, I can show you how. Yet, is that what I want to be an expert at? I’m not so sure.

What qualifies anyone to be an expert? I view an expert as someone who has considerable intellectual knowledge and real world experience in a particular field, area of study, process, or activity. They possess knowledge and experience in greater measure than a majority of others in their field. And they can express their expertise in order to help others understand and implement any appropriate ideas and actions based on that information.

Why would you want to be an expert? Because in business, experts get greater notoriety and publicity, can charge more than non-experts, and are often the best teachers. In your personal life, as an expert you can enjoy your skill or help others perfect theirs.

Say, for example, you’re an expert at tying fishing flies. You enjoy creating unique flies, you attend fishing conventions, and buy all the new supplies. You can enjoy your expert status on your own, or you can teach neighborhood kids who want to learn how to tie flies.

In business, you may be an expert in team building. You can hone your expertise in your own company or business, or you can become a teacher, coach, or consultant and help others build teams.

What qualifies you to be an expert is somewhat subjective. It used to be that education alone–the more degrees the better–was the mark of an expert. A masters and Ph.D. were often the benchmarks of at least the beginning of expert status.

Today, I would venture to say experience builds expertise faster and stronger than education. For education not applied is merely knowledge locked in the brain and not tested in the real world.

People who seek experts out want to learn from someone who has applied the book knowledge and discovered what works and doesn’t. Often, experts write books based on their experience, and that’s one of the quickest methods of achieving expert status.

Suppose you wanted to build a coaching business. You could go to a coach university and take two years of courses… or you could hire a business coach who has already built a successful business. Which way would you go?

Of course, you can always combine the two for stronger results: knowledge + experience = expertise. Nowadays, with so many people going into business for themselves, almost anyone can hang out their shingle and call themselves an expert. But even though people may begin to seek you out for knowledge or information, they will need more than your word if you want to convince them to sign on the dotted line.

Here are some tips to strengthen your qualifications as an expert so you can attract the people who will benefit from your expertise:

1. Be an expert at one thing.

Don’t scatter your energies and try to be an expert at everything, only to wind up being expert at nothing. Be known for something significant that can boost your expert status. Be the best gardener on the block. Be the best golfer in your group. Be the best accountant in your business. What is your greatest strength or your greatest passion? Develop your expertise in that.

2. Do what the experts do.

Find a mentor who can cut short your learning curve. Or follow the experts in your field by reading their books, attending their seminars, and signing up for their newsletters. Say you want to build your expertise as a blogger. Google for the top blogging experts and get on their mailing lists. Take their teleseminars and read their newsletters. If the opportunity comes up for mentorship, go for it. Learn from the best, and you become the best.

3. Determine your objectives.

Why do you want to be an expert? What’s in it for you? What’s in it for others? If personal, are you just looking to improve your skill so you can gain more enjoyment from playing the guitar, knitting, or sailing? Or do you want to teach your expertise to others? If in business, will becoming an expert mean more credibility, more responsibility, and more money?

4. Keep learning and growing.

Learning to be an expert doesn’t stop when you leave the class or stop working with a coach. The more you perform your skill, the better you get. The more you keep up with current techniques, the more you have to share with others. The more you evaluate your expertise and learn and correct, the better teacher you’ll be.

Ultimately, what qualifies you as an expert is doing something you love, something you’re excellent at, and something for which others can seek you out as an authority!

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