Everything takes practice, it is the way of life. But sometimes the opinion of others can have an impact on whether we carry on with the practice or not. Whether it’s learning to write for business, using a new system or even starting a business, learning and practice will eventually make perfect. 

Sometimes people can be negative about the new skills we are trying to learn, but don’t let this put you off. They will be by your side cheering you on when you succeed. This is why the art of never giving up is so important. 

If you are ever in a situation where someone else is telling you that you aren’t good enough then try to fight back with these tips:  

1. Practice will make perfect but it might take time. Watch YouTube videos, read magazines and talk to people. If it is something like writing, then write some pieces for free in the beginning to build your portfolio

2. Be kind to yourself, learning a new skill is hard and takes time so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get it right away. Everyone learns at a different pace.

3. Keep the good feedback from people in a notebook or on a document on your computer so when you doubt yourself you have evidence of how good you are to remind you to carry on. 

Believe in yourself, you know you can do this.

When things get tough or you start to struggle, refer to the poem Don't Quit by John Greenleaf Whittier. One of my favourite quotes from this poem is ‘rest if you must but don’t you quit’.  

Copywriting was one of my weak areas when I started my marketing career and it took a lot of practice to get it right. At the time I had a manager at work telling me that I should give up and change my career because I would never be any good at copywriting

I read books and articles about writing and watched YouTube videos in my spare time. I even wrote blogs and articles for free in exchange for feedback on my work. Over time that practice paid off, as now I have articles published in print and online magazines at least once a month.

So let that be a lesson for you all to be kind to yourself and keep practicing!