Fifth: Be open to opportunities

Yes, many understand the need to pray. Many get the concept of faith. Few realize that faith only works when you walk. Hence “Faith Walk”. One has to be open to opportunities and go after them.

For Christians, this means asking God for directives, then actually following the directives. Too many will ask for a job but will not diligently look for a job. If you’re not looking, how can you tell if God has sent one your way? This means asking for the gift of discernment so you can tell what opportunities are from God from those that aren’t.

For those who don’t believe in God or any other deity. This still applies to you too. If you’re not looking for your opportunity, how will you know when it arrives?

That may mean marketing your skills. That may mean speaking with your spouse about your new skills you’re bringing to the table at home. It may mean pointing out what you’re doing differently so others know and can help signal an opportunity for you.

Additional note;

this is not the most extensive or most exhaustive list of what is required to step up your game. People have PhD’s in the science of stepping up performance. However, this is the framework used for the round table discussion to start the process of stepping up one’s game

Sixth: Get Feedback

Many people never ask for direct feedback about their performances. Sure, they ask a coach/mentor for help before getting in the game. Sometimes they’ll listen during the game. However, unlike professional game players, most people will not ask for feedback after the game.

What am I talking about?

After you’ve set up a romantic date with your spouse, when do you ask how they felt about your moves? Don’t just assume because they blushed it was picture perfect. How often do we ask our children for feedback on our parenting skills after trying something new… or addressing a new situation… or just day to day?

How often does a company ask their customers for honest feedback? Not just a perfect rating (which is OK to ask for). How often do you ask church members how well they took in the sermon? Not asking for satisfaction surveys or the likes… but genuine asking how the interaction served them.

The reason for this is simple. You’ll never know the true measure of your impact if you’re not asking the recipient of your actions how they feel. You know how you feel. You know how you’ve been affected by the interaction, but you don’t live in their heads and can’t know unless they tell you. (I’m not discounting non-verbal communication here at all).

Through feedback one can understand what to improve, what is working, what is not. That way, one can better prepare for the next opportunity. This is learning. This is wisdom. This is experience.

Without that learning, mistakes can repeat themselves and the game doesn’t get stepped up.

in the case of the artist at the beginning… without hearing from fans, readers, mentors, coaches, ministers, etc, the artist might not have known how to better craft the story lines, the characters, the drawings, etc to better captivate the audience they were serving.

Seventh: Patiently trust the process.

Getting good takes time. Getting good requires work. Getting up to higher levels takes effort. Be kind to yourself and patiently wait for results. They will come. Trust God’s timing. Trust that the pieces will fall in place nicely in their appropriate time.

A new bike rider is a perfect analogy for this. If that child works diligently at riding, they will become a rider. If they stick with it correctly long enough, they could be a gold medal contender.

Trust the process of creating heaven on earth in your homes. Trust the process of becoming a better Christian, better spouse, better parent, better student, better anything. Hard work pays off. Smart hard work pays even more.

When stepping up your game, there are many steps, do them all mindfully, smartly, patiently, and diligently for the reward is more than worth it to you, your dependents, and those you influence.

Conclusion

Provided there are no genetic, medical, physical limitations that prevents you from improving your skills, you can definitely step up your game and do much better than you’re doing. It could just be your Higher Calling. Whatever your desires, goals, ambitions, remember as heads of households, it’s your responsibility to make it the best home you can make. (and be the best person, witness, friend, church member,etc)