How to Master a New Skill

"In a fast-moving, competitive world, being able to learn new skills is one of the keys to success. It’s not enough to be smart — you need to always be getting smarter."

Learning a new skill takes commitment. And there are certain limits to what you can learn. So, before starting working on a new skill, ask yourself:

• If your goal really is attainable
• How much time and energy you can give to this process.

Make sure the skills you've chosen are relevant to your career, your organization, or both. 

Gaining a new skill is an investment and you need to know upfront what the return will be.

You can find out your ideal learning style by looking back: review your past learning experiences and make a list of the good ones and another list of bad ones, in order to see the elements they had in common.

By doing this, you'll be able to define the learning environment that works for you.

Find and approach someone you trust who has mastered the skill you’re trying to attain. This will greatly increase your learning.

If you can’t find a mentor inside your company, look for people in your industry or from your network

Choose one or two skills to focus on at a time, and break them down into manageable goals. This will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed.

Also, take the time to reflect on what you're learning. Thinking and talking about your progress will help you get valuable feedback and will keep you accountable.

One of the quickest ways to learn something new, and to practice it, is to teach others how to do it. 

So share what you learn with your team, your manager, or your co-workers.