Problem: Article: Too many people believe that the “great ones” are those who possess some raw, inherent talent. Most people, however, only become great after devoting their time and energy toward the goal of greatness. Raw talent has virtually nothing to do with it. What most people mistake as "raw talent" is actually just early aptitude. It is possible for someone to have a natural aptitude toward something from a young age, but without hard work, that aptitude cannot be successfully developed into any great talent. Before you can become great at something, you need to decide what that “something” actually is. Set a clear, definite goal that you can chase after. After setting your goal, you can determine the qualities you'll need to develop to reach it.  The path the greatness needs to contain multiple mile markers. Instead of focusing on one overall goal, you need to set small goals for you to focus on in the short-term. Completing each small goal should progress you one step closer to your overall goal. For example, if you want to become a great guitar player, an early goal might be to memorize the chords. After you accomplish that goal, your next one might be to play a simple song. After the simple song, aim for a more difficult song, and an even more difficult one after that. Look for positive examples of people who have become great at the sort of goal you've set for yourself. Study their work and figure out what they did right, what they did wrong, and what you can take away from their experiences overall.  Research your role models' methods. Read everything you can about the difficulties they overcame, the chances they took, and the effort they put into things. Use both primary and secondary sources. Read and listen to your role models' direct words, then read and listen to the words that others have spoken or written about those same role models. After you've thought about the quality you want to develop, you need to actually do that task. As you perform the task in question, pay close attention to the method you use and the results it produces each step of the way. The idea is to know exactly what you're doing and why you're doing it. If you do something right, you'll need to know how to duplicate that correct step in the future. If you do something wrong, you'll need to figure out how to avoid the incorrect step later on. Constructive criticism might be frightening and unpleasant, but it is also crucial to your development. Ask someone who knows a lot about your chosen task to watch as you perform it. Then, ask that individual to point out anything you did wrong and make suggestions on how you might fix those errors.  Leave your emotions out of it. When someone critiques you, understand that the critique is a helpful tool. It doesn't make you any less valuable or any less likely to achieve your goals. At the same time, you also need to make sure that the people you're getting critiques from are worthwhile critics. Even the most well-intentioned person can be a lousy critic if he or she doesn't have the knowledge to back up the critique. Similarly, the most knowledgeable person can also be a terrible critic if he or she only wants to insult you instead of helping you improve. Practicing your chosen task every now and then won't be enough to master it. If you really want to become great, you will need frequent and consistent practice. When considering professional fields, the most accomplished people in their fields generally need to dedicate at least ten years of hard work before they develop great enough skills to reach their level of success. At some point, your practices might become easy and dull. Change your practice sessions when this happens so that they become more difficult again. Improvement only comes when you're being challenged to make yourself better. Hard work alone isn't enough. Your method of practice needs to be deliberate and stimulating. Simply repeating the same action over and over again won't yield results, so you'll need to practice with the goal of improvement on your mind. Do this by regularly tackling forms of practice that are increasingly more challenging. After all, you're only human. Things will go wrong, and sometimes, the unwanted result might be a direct result of some action you performed poorly or with bad judgment. Don't let the mistakes scare you, though. The path to greatness cannot be walked without tripping over the occasional obstacle. If you're afraid of failing, you won't be able to move forward. If you aren't able to move forward, you won't be able to do the things you need to do to become great.
Summary: Quit relying on raw talent. Decide on your goal. Look for examples. Perform the task. Look for feedback. Practice often. Challenge yourself. Allow yourself to make mistakes.

Problem: Article: In the event you get your cast wet, you should make an effort to dry it quickly. This can reduce the harm to the cast, and eliminate your risk of infection.  Use a hairdryer to dry a cast. Always use the cool setting. The hot or warm setting could cause a burn. You can also try a vacuum cleaner hose, if you do not have a hair dryer. A cast may have to be replaced if it gets wet. If you accidentally got water on your cast, call your doctor right away. Make an appointment as soon as possible. Water could seep under the cast, which can cause infection to the skin below. Fiberglass casts are more resistant to water, and if their surface gets wet it can usually be easily wiped off. However, water can still get under a fiberglass cast, potentially causing infection. Even if you have a fiberglass cast, it's a good idea to give your doctor a call in the event it gets wet.
Summary:
Dry casts after they get wet. Call the doctor shortly after a cast gets wet. Be careful even when using a fiberglass cast.