I'm in my bedroom with headphones on and the door shut, trying to get two records to sit together. It sounds like trainers in a tumble dryer. I pull it back and go again. And again.
Nobody's watching. Nobody's clapping. It's the same thing, over and over, and it's how every DJ learns. I told the whole story in Bedroom decks, 1987.
Ten thousand kicks
Bruce Lee said he didn't fear the man who'd practised ten thousand kicks once. He feared the man who'd practised one kick ten thousand times.
The first time that man threw the kick, it was done. He didn't stop there. He kept going until it was better, and then better again, until he'd mastered it.
So many people now are looking for shortcuts and hacks, ways to do things quicker rather than better. I live by done beats perfect, so I'm not saying take forever. I'm saying decide what your thing is and commit to getting really good at it.
Keep learning anyway
This isn't about closing your mind. In my experience, the minute you think you know it all is the minute you find out you know nothing. Learning new things matters.
But life isn't only about adding new skills. It's about getting better at the ones you've already got. Especially the ones that travel, the skills you can use in almost any part of your life.
Why the rush?
You're born, you live for a while, and one day you die. Nobody wants that bit sped up. So why are we in such a hurry to get to the end of everything else? You might as well enjoy the ride.
Nearly forty years of the same skill
The kit has changed completely since that bedroom. Vinyl, then CDs, then laptops, then whatever's next. The skill underneath hasn't moved. Listening properly, and reading the room.
It's the same in business. The tools change every few months now, and AI is changing them faster than ever. The skills underneath, like talking to people and keeping promises, don't go out of date. They work a lot like a line of dominoes. Each small bit of practice knocks over the next.
First published August 2017.
