How to Get Good at Everything

In which Hank talks about how to get good at stuff, which is begins with recognizing that you, like.../can/ and also recognizing that you're going to suck at first because WE ALL DO. So you shouldn't judge yourself based on the capabilities of people who have been developing skills their whole lives. Wow, now that I've written that here I feel like maybe I didn't need a whole video but that's basically what the video's about...

----

[daveharrison]

After writing a 4-minute monologue every week for 7 years you are already a far better writer than most people ever will be.

[Dycehart]

"Sucking at something is the first step to becoming sorta good at something" - Jake the Dog (words to live by)

[Chouetterargentee]

"The only way to write a good book is probably to write a bad one, and look at it and think of all the reasons why it's bad, and then make it good." I've heard this said in other ways, but this way is really quite helpful. Not sure why. Maybe because Hank is not yet a god of writing the way other people who give that sort of advice are. Anyway, thanks Hank.

[FinnGerhardt]

Being an artist while simultaneously being one of the most self-critical people on the planet, I need to hear things like this over and over again. Like, I just want to tattoo, "YOU CAN GET GOOD AT THE THING IF YOU DO THE WORK" on my forehead in mirrored lettering so that every time I look in the mirror, I'm punched in the face with truth. Thanks, Hank. I needed this.

[jessehe]

Hank Green: Entrepreneur, Internet Personality, Writer, and Professional Speaker at Camera.

[XxsrxX]

Yes, I love the growth mindset! So many people have told me "I wish I could draw" or "You're so talented" but I've been drawing for as long as I can remember! Chances are, if anyone has been doing a thing for many years, they're gonna be at least decent at it, at best they're gonna be excellent.

[JoshJepson]

"Professional Speaker-at-Camera" -- Best job title ever...

[fred]

I'm almost finished watching all the vlogbrothers videos since the start, and OMG! It's unvelievable how much have both Hank and John improved at making videos!

[lizziep]

when everything hank green puts out is gold and I'm so dang excited for this book❤️🎉

[yasmin-toxv]

HANK TALKING ABOUT JOHN'S WRITING IS THE CUTEST THING IN THE WORLD. BYE.

[bookishbirthright]

Does anyone else feel even just the littlest bit smarter or sophisticated when you listen to and understand Hank/John's videos?? And go Hank!! You do the thing!

[sarkasticchik]

I can totally understand where you are coming from Hank! My mom is a professional singer and I like to sing as well, but I always compare myself to her. And I end up feeling that I will never be good as she is. But that's the point, right? You won't be the same amount of good, because you are not that person. But you can be your own kind of good.

[CynicatPro]

this was something i learned a long time ago when i started 3d art. i enjoyed doing it. but i sucked at it. than my grandfather looked at my 3d art and was super impressed. so impressed he bought me a better computer so i could keep doing 3d art. why? because while i had been 'sucking' at it. i had been sucking at it for about 4 months. so while i still was crap compared to the pro's... i was super good from the perspective of a beginner. far forward 5 years and here i am. i'm pretty happy with where i'm at now. programming, 3d art, graphic design, etc... all skills i love and learn every day. keep up the awesome hank.

[SlugLineMediaProd]

Hank, I can't tell you how much I needed to hear this today. Thank you for doing your thing and sharing it so openly. I'm sure it doesn't always seem like it, but what you do really does affect people in a meaningful, measurable way.

[kitwinters]

What's that quote?  "Sucking at something is the first step of being kinda sorta good at something."  It forget where it's from, but it's definitely in my mental bank of pep talks when I feel like I'm failing at something new. Great video!

[justinsunil]

Do you guys think Hank could run for president?

[KunamaElgar]

I am a teacher and this video has made me realise that a growth mindset is something I need to work on more explicitly in my own thinking and teaching. I would say that I think this way as my default anyway - I watched a friend go from being the worst student in our Primary and Secondary Maths classes to blitzing us all in Years 11 and 12 Calculus and Trigonometry and everything. But I can see that my students definitely have a fixed mindset - definitely about themselves and probably about each other. That's something I can definitely work on changing. Thanks for the video, Hank, and DFTBA.

[Sandy-gewo]

Hank is just great.
Who the eff is John?

[snwflake]

I put myself on this thought path less than two weeks ago, and the difference already is amazing. Thanks for making this video and reinforcing these ideas even more.

[Eruaphadian]

my view on this is that it is a mix between fixed and growth. After all, there are savants and prodigies, who possess an uncanny and sudden ability with something that they may never have trained for, but there are also people who learn how to fly say an airplane after years of trial and error. It's possible that we are naturally gifted at things, after all that expression exists, but it doesn't mean that we are locked from doing anything we have the will to learn.