You get what you repeat. - James Clear

The gift of a beginner is fresh eyes.

The longer you're in a field, the harder it is to perceive new truths. Your mind is biased toward refining what you're already doing instead of exploring fresh terrain.

Take your expertise and apply it to something new.

Deconstruct the cool things you see.

If you'd like to become a better musician and you see an amazing performance, start paying attention to how they do it. How did they promote the event? What happens in the first ten seconds of each song? How frequently are they engaging directly with the audience? Is there a progression of energy throughout the show?

When something fascinates you, pay attention to the details. The person who thinks, "That was cool" is a consumer. The person who thinks, "How did they make something that cool?" is on the path to being a creator.

Don't just taste the recipe, look for the ingredients.

In school, you are graded on every test—even if it's your weakest subject.

In life, you can choose the tests you take—even if they always play to your strengths.

Maintain a baseline so your weak areas don't hold you back, but design your life so you are graded on your strengths.