What separates a professional from an amateur? That’s an easy question to answer. However, it’s not always easy making the transition from amateur to professional.
Amateurs are those who do an activity casually and on their own time. They simply have a hobby and when they feel like having a bit of fun, they will take up that hobby. They may buy some cool gear because it makes them feel good or excited. But simply put, amateurs are not devoted to their craft. It’s just a hobby to them. That’s where professionals come in.
Professionals work on their craft day in and day out. They find a way to make money doing what they do and sharpen their craft each and every day. No matter how they are feeling or what other obstacle is in their way, they will find a way to do the work. Professionals are devoted to their craft. Their happiness comes from putting in the work and recognizing the rewards that come with it.
The biggest difference between amateurs and professionals is that professionals are not afraid of failure. They aren’t afraid because they can’t be. They can’t get caught up in their failures because they need to be focused on the tasks on hand. They are focused on the process and what is working for them and what isn’t. The professional does the work instead of worrying about the outcome.
The amateur will never write his symphony because he is overly invested in its success and over terrified of its failures. The professional will write up a strategy and do the work until he finds success. Professionals know how to adjust their strategy and re-assess when their plan isn’t working. But they never see failure for what it is. Instead, professionals see failure as a misstep along the work. A chance to correct the course and make the process better. They see it as a chance to learn from their mistakes and become better from it. The amateur will simply give up because they are too invested in their failure.
A professional is someone that does the work. If you never stop doing the work, then you can never quit. In other words, you will always be improving on the fact that you are learning from your mistakes and sharpening your craft each and every day. What activities in your life are you looking to make the transition into professionalism? Is it a hobby you want to become a business? Is it a musical instrument that you want to be able to perform live one day? What is it?
Whatever it is, once you have a professional mindset there is no failure anymore. There is only learning opportunities and improving. Become obsessed with the process of doing the work every day, and you’ll succeed at whatever your craft is. It just takes persistence and patients. What would you like to become professional in?
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