Writing 4: Work on Yourself Like It’s Your Job

In earlier posts, I talked about the fundamentals: self-mentorship, planning, and taking good notes. Now comes the hardest part—the real work.

Becoming the best version of yourself requires effort. Not just effort—intentional effort. Working on yourself is never easy. It means facing the truth about who you are, identifying areas for growth, creating a plan to improve, putting that plan into action, and regularly checking your progress—or lack of it—and making necessary adjustments. That’s the heart of self-mentorship. And yes, it’s hard.

David Goggins, a motivational speaker, author, and retired Navy SEAL, once posed a challenging question:

“Are you in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft that you may die without ever realizing your true potential?”

It’s a question worth asking yourself often. It gets to the core of what self-mentorship demands—reflection, refinement, and rising to the challenge.

Most people think the way to get ahead is by working harder at their job. I don’t agree. I’d argue that 80% of your effort should go toward improving yourself. Your job can have the other 20%. Why? Because your personal growth fuels your professional impact. There’s no cap on how much better you can become—except your ability to lead others. Leadership is the ceiling on success.

Leadership begins with trust. And trust is built through character and competence.

• Character is who you are—your integrity, maturity, and principles.

• Competence is what you can do—your skills, clarity in communication, and ability to deliver results.

Building both requires a conscious, continuous effort that extends well beyond your job description.

One powerful concept in this journey is skill-stacking. Skill-stacking means deliberately adding new, complementary skills that enhance what you already know. It’s not about becoming world-class in one thing; it’s about becoming remarkably capable in several. Combined, those skills create a leadership advantage that’s hard to replicate.

So, is it better to be in the top 10% at multiple skills rather than the top 1% at just one? Many would say yes. A broader range of capabilities makes you more adaptable and more valuable. 

One way to build that range is through a “depth year.” Spend a year reflecting on what truly matters to you. Scan broadly for areas where your abilities can expand. Then pick one or two and dive deep. Focus. Immerse yourself fully.

Begin by identifying what you don’t know but want to know. Then commit to learning it. Don’t stop until you’ve made it your own. Remember: there are no limits. If someone else can learn it, you can too. 

Embrace the Kaizen principle—small, steady improvements over time. Your learning capacity is determined by one person only: you.