What do you choose to be professional at?

And what are you OK with being amateur at?

The difference matters.

You can’t be professional at everything.

Being professional is not the same as what your profession is.

You might be a tax specialist. That’s your profession. But being professional as a tax specialist is a nuanced distinction. 

The professional tax specialist holds themselves to the highest standards, not set by their profession, but by themselves.

They choose the pursuit of mastery over merely gaining expertise. 

They choose stretch growth and continuous learning over simply doing the required training.

One chief executive I know used to be a Chartered Accountant (no, it’s not me!) A few years ago, he told me ‘I’ve chosen to be a professional leader’. He’d dedicated his career to mastering the art of leadership. And he’s now one of the most well-respected CEOs I know.

What you choose to be professional at is likely to be less tangible than your profession. It’s something that you decide to commit yourself to being outstanding at. It’ll enable you to blend your unique strengths and talents and use them to meet an ongoing need in the world.

Why does this matter?

When you choose to be professional at something that deeply matters to you, you:

• Become unique and stand out for being so
• Get exponentially better results
• Become more valuable
• Enjoy life more!

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What do you choose to be professional at?