The Dominant Quality of True Professionals

“A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it.”_Alistair Cooke

In the book, ‘Tough Times Never Last but Tough People Do’ author Robert H. Schuller narrated a story of the moment his family had a dinner with the famous pianist, Roger Williams as a form of appreciation for his contribution to their ministry.

Though it was a blast of a feast, yet Roger William noticed when the clock hit ten. Immediately, he said, “Well I really have to go. I must get to work.”

“Work at this time?” Robert Schuller curiously inquired.

Roger replied: “Yes, it’s rehearsal. I will go home and rehearse from ten o’clock till about two o’clock. I’ll sleep for about four hours, and then I’ll get up and rehearse for another two hours.”

Now pay close attention to the next question posed by Robert Schuller, for that’s where the point of this entire article hides.

He asked: “Do you do that everyday?”

Roger replied without any hesitation, “O yes, every day.”

As we can see, the few at the top of their game are not there because of raw talents alone, they are there largely because they consistently get better at their craft by working on it, everyday.

In this sense, what is true for a great singer is also true for every other great.

Every day, great scholars study.

Every day, great painters paint.

Every day, great writers write.

Even on any challenging or tempting day, true professionals have learned not to rationalize and skip the day’s duty. On such a day, they force themselves to put in their reps, no matter how little.

Adopt the Attitude of Everyday @ a Fixed Time

“What I adore is supreme professionalism. I’m bored by writers who can write only when it’s raining.”_Noel Coward 

When it comes to high performance and maximum efficiency, time blocking is the tool of choice for committed professionals. They employ regimented routine to free up their minds and their time to do their best daily work. 

I have realized from personal experience that when we give our duty a time and a place in our schedule, possible distractions and interruptions tend to fall by the wayside. 

Generally, the most successful people are the most productive people. They are the ones who show up, whether it is easy or difficult. They are the ones who put in the effort when it is easier not to. They are the ones whom we can confidently count upon to deliver, no matter what the circumstances are. 

To them, no pains are too great, no revisions are to too tedious, and no sacrifices are too much for the privilege of becoming the best at their craft.

In this direction, Angela Duckworth, a professor of psychology concludes after years of research that the secret of true professionals is nothing but grit: the ability to stick to one’s duty— irrespective of the present circumstances or future challenges— for as long as it well darn takes. 

Simply put, above all else, effort is the decisive factor of who gets to the fame hall of achievement in the end. Effort takes precedence over raw talents: it is required at all times, at the beginning, in the middle and even at the rear of the journey.

In other words, it doesn't matter what our life work is, if we don’t commit to it unconditionally, we will never be among the very best—not even close. 

You see, the ability to show up every day, and do our work — especially when we have the impulse not to — is so valuable a thing that it is plainly all we need to become a true professional in any field of endeavour.

In summary, you don’t need to become a workaholic to be a true professional; you just need to get better at what really matters, day in, day out—without fail. 

When consistency is truly unshakable, mastery becomes inevitable.