We read a couple of articles about “deliberate practice” in Sociology today, which I’ll link to as a formality, except they’re in french so they’re probably no good to you. They’re interesting because it’s a bit of philosophy as well as a how-to guide for success. Essentially, the articles are a study of how great people become great, with a nod towards education in Ancient Greece. Deliberate practice is my own direct translation, so it doesn’t sound very natural in english, but if you’ve got a better term, feel free to suggest it. It’s a philosophy of self-improvement based on a desire to improve, much like education was for the Ancient Greeks. The improvement is guided by a strong mentor, voluntary, extremely intense, and requires constant effort. The core requirements for deliberate learning, based on a study of successful people, are:

• A mentor figure to guide you, as well as provide a long term goal: surpassing them
• Constructive criticism and correction to prevent future errors
• Constant effort and regular practice
• Not wasting your time
• Often draconian choices and sacrifices for the sake of improvement
• Changing your life, no matter how extremely, for the sake of success
• Self-evaluation to correct errors and look for ways to improve
• Enjoying the effort required, as well as the results it provides

This isn’t a definite list, merely an example of various people and a list of their common characteristics. Note the bold requirement, as it is essentially the key. If someone forces you through all of those things, and you don’t have any personal desire to produce extraordinary results, you simply won’t be able to maintain the strategy in the long term.

Looking at this list, I would actually say Ms. Barrett (my english teacher) has served as a mentor figure for me. I haven’t surpassed her (my average is ~90%, hers was 97% 0.0) but I know I’ve improved and grown a lot. This just means that the mentor figure doesn’t need to be a coach or otherwise regular influence, so it’s probably the vaguest requirement. I suppose you could serve as your own mentor.

Note, however, that nearly all of the characteristics are personal. No one can make you a better writer, or make you work out and eat well, or otherwise improve your life or hone your skills. The impetus to overcome your limitations must come from within.