What does it mean to up my game?

Most professionals know they need to up their game. So, what does it mean to up my game?
It comes down to doing better at what you’ve committed to doing. Being the best at that task you can be.

Jason has a different approach to the answer. “If only my staff would step up, they know what to do. I’ve told them. And, the partners need to quit whining and do their job!” 

Jason continues to place the fault on others. That simply does not work long term.

In the most direct terms “to up my game” means to become excellent and a master at what you do. Become better as a manager, leader, GM, director, business owner than anyone else.

You might ask, “How can I can be the best when there are countless others doing what I do?”
Good question!
First, two important points.

So, exactly what does it mean to up my game?

First, you cannot up your game if you don’t really enjoy doing it.

Second, You cannot up your game if you simply have no talents in that area.

Think in terms of sports or music. We have the opportunity to see people attempting to be voted best, judged best, or win with a wide variety of talents and desires to win.
It’s painful to see others attempt to be the best when their talents lie elsewhere.

Here it is in a nutshell, “What does it mean to up my game?”

Know yourself well.

• Know your natural talents. We all have them.
• Know your natural weaknesses and blind spots. We all have these too.
• Know your communication, learning, behavior, and reaction styles.
• Know your work style and what you like to do. And what you don’t like.

Don’t worry too much about weaknesses and blind spots. Get others to help you fill in the blanks. These would be difficult, at best and a major struggle at worst, to improve incrementally.
Focus on your talents and develop them.  This is where you excel. Where the biggest improvements can happen. Take advantage of these. They are your gifts. Do them justice. Learn more, practice, get coached, mentored.
Get your talents aligned with your activities. The more aligned your talents are with your activities the more you will up your game naturally. This is why the answer to “what does it mean to up my game?” is so important.
Get disciplined to learn, develop and align your talents.  There is a long slow way to do it and there is faster, easier way to do it.  Regardless, both take time, self-awareness, discipline to get started.
Put all these together and you have a unique way to up your game and create value.
The result is to up your game while not stressing quite so much about your job.

What’s next?

For those who want to speed up the process, I can offer my experience and expertise as a guide through your journey to up your game.