https://www.businessinsider.com/3-ways-to-know-if-youre-really-an-expert-2012-2?nr_email_referer=1&utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Business%20Insider%20Select&utm_campaign=BI%20Select%20Recurring%202012-02-23

First introduced by psychologist Anders Ericsson and later featured in Malcolm Gladwell's popular book, "Outliers: The Story of Success," was this idea that you could become a genuine expert in a field with approximately 10,000 hours of practice — roughly 3 hours a day, every day for a consecutive decade.

But is that really what it takes? And what's the real difference between being a "natural" and a prodigious practicer?

In a study published in Harvard Business Review, researchers say that you must pass three tests to know if you've reached a level of expertise:

1. Your performance must be consistently "superior to that of your expert's peers." You can't really be an expert if you are on the same level of expertise as everyone else. 

When most people practice, they focus on the things they already know how to do. Deliberate practice is different. It entails considerable, specific, and sustained efforts to do something you can’t do well—or even at all. Research across domains shows that it is only by working at what you can’t do that you turn into the expert you want to become.

According to Gary Marcus in Psychology Today, if you keep practicing what you know you are already good at, you will never be able to reach an uncomfortable level that will force you to push harder. This means you'll never improve or reach your greatest limits.

"Getting better isn't just a matter of logging hours," Marcus says. "It's a matter of developing a focused program of targeting your weaknesses and broadening your skill set."

Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/3-ways-to-know-if-youre-really-an-expert-2012-2?nr_email_referer=1&utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Business%20Insider%20Select&utm_campaign=BI%20Select%20Recurring%202012-02-23#ixzz1nFLe91mL

I just posted a blog at Active Rain that I thought the crowd here might enjoy. It's not directly related to real estate consulting, but it's definitely related to being a professional real estate practitioner, which is a big part of being a good consultant... and it expresses a sentiment that you'll be seeing a lot of around here in the new year - TAKE GREAT CARE OF YOUR CLIENTS AS YOUR FIRST PRIORITY ... and you may never have to prospect again.

https://activerain.com/blogsview/2606244/how-do-you-think-your-current-and-future-clients-might-feel-about-your-80-20-plan-

Below is the blog in its entirety... but hop on over to Active Rain where I expect they might be an interesting discussion - hope so anyway!

 Unlike real estate sales, as a consultant, your work with clients and prospects is not limited to just assisting people who are buying or selling a home. Certainly assisting active buyers and sellers will continue to be the majority of your work and with the options that you can now offer, you'll win more buyers and listings than ever.

But the bonus of being an ACRE is the additional income opportunities that you have assisting consumers that aren't buying or selling or, not buying or selling NOW. Think of the range of clients that ACREs are now working with (and getting paid for!) Investors, homeowners, for sale by owners, the mortgage industry... if it has to do with real estate decisions, you can now get paid.

BUT, instead of people making the decision to buy or sell and then contacting an agent, you can become their teammate from the beginning helping to guide them in making the decision.