It takes hard work and consistency to become a successful athlete, but it is equally important to be able to learn new skills. Ask any successful athlete, and they will tell you that you should always strive to learn new things and improve your skillset to be a well-rounded individual.

In order to achieve your dream of becoming an Olympic level athlete – learning new skills is something that you should always be open to. The life of an athlete requires one to be extra flexible, open-minded, and amenable to making lifestyle changes that will help your career and your athletic performance. Learning how to survive on your own and adopting a more flexible lifestyle is crucial if you want to make it as a successful athlete.

Here are the 3 best strategies to help you learn new skills.

1. Set a goal

Learning new skills keeps you motivated and restores your confidence in yourself. It also helps beat boredom and keeps your mind sharp. Managing your time effectively so that you set aside a portion of each day just to learn a new skill will help you reach your goal faster. Whether you want to learn yoga, practice gardening to keep you calm, or wish to learn how to cook for yourself, devote a fixed amount of time each day to practice the skill you wish to acquire.

2. Break down your goals into smaller steps

Rome was not built in a day. Yes, it is entirely possible to learn an impressive new skill, but don’t kid yourself into thinking that it can be done in one day or even one week. Breaking your goal down into smaller steps that you can complete one at a time will help you learn a skill steadily.

3. Learn by doing

Whether you want to master a musical instrument or learn how to ride a tricycle, the only way you’ll be able to learn a new skill is by actually doing it. Even if your first few tries make you feel ridiculous, keep practicing until you start seeing improvement. Seeing yourself improve by taking baby steps is an incredibly rewarding experience.

My name is AkwasiFrimpong. I am Ghana’s first skeleton Olympic athlete and had the honour of representing Ghana internationally at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Apart from training and competing as a professional athlete , I also travel and work as a motivational speaker and entrepreneur. As Ghana’s first skeleton Olympic athlete, I frequently meet and motivate young athletes who dream of representing Ghana at the Olympics one day. With focus, determination, and hard work, anything is possible, and that’s the message I want to give to aspiring athletes.