Inc. included a small piece of advice that I penned in their article, How to Push Yourself to the Next Level:
7. Plan to prepare.
Too often we miss opportunities to be our best and make the most of our time with others because we didn’t find time to prepare. Granted, most leaders are pretty good at winging it–directing meetings on the fly or extemporaneously presenting ideas. But we can be much more effective–and use everyone’s time more efficiently–when we deliberately set aside time to prepare our next meeting, presentation, or project. It’s not easy to find extra time in the day, so rather than hoping you’ll find the time you need when you need it, block the time you want for prep on your calendar. Schedule 15 minutes before meetings to review objectives. Block an hour immediately before a presentation to clear your mind and rehearse. Carve out as many hours as you need to create and practice the pitch.
Read the entire Inc. article here.
Of course, being an expert means that you have practiced and prepared, formally or informally, over the years, and in a variety of situations. That’s why you’re an expert. But if we’re looking to go beyond our current level of performance, if we’re looking to level-up our expertise, we need to both fairly self-evaluate our performances and we need to plan to improve the next time.