Learn From People Slightly Ahead of You

World-class experts can inspire you, but they often can't teach you — they've forgotten what it's like to not understand. The things that confuse you are so automatic for them that they can't even see the gap anymore. Someone one or two steps ahead of you remembers the obstacles you're facing right now. They know the specific confusion because they just passed through it.

This doesn't mean experts are useless — they're great for direction and vision. But for the practical how-to of getting from where you are to the next level, seek out people who recently made the jump you're trying to make. Their advice will be specific, actionable, and grounded in fresh memory rather than distant mastery.