How do you define and acknowledge mastery in yourself and others? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“Though you can love what you do not master, you cannot master what you do not love.”
“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.”
“The shortest distance between two points is under construction.”
Image from Unsplash by Shiromani Kant
In what areas of your life do you consider yourself highly competent or even masterful?
What were your developmental journeys like and how long did they take?
Who were your teachers, mentors, and coaches, and how much practice did you put in to reach your current level of proficiency?
A while ago, I took my car to the shop for its annual inspection. After several hours and several hundred dollars, I was out the door with a new window sticker of approval. A few weeks later when I was out of town, the yellow manufacturer maintenance light popped on.
Knowing I was good to go, I looked up a You Tube video and three minutes later that pesky light was gone.
EXERCISE:
Who are the people in your life that help your learn things quickly?
Where do you need to put certain lessons into practice over time to develop the deeper mastery you desire?
Image from Unsplash by Jelled Vanooteghem
Watching our grandchildren grow provides us with much joy and many valuable lessons.
Babies are perhaps the best example of being a novice. Grasping, crawling, making sounds, and those all-important first steps are excellent examples of new worlds emerging for our little ones.
As we age, being a novice and unable to do certain things can be very frustrating.
Our awareness of setbacks and stumbles can cause us to give up too soon and not push through our difficulties. Where are the feelings of being a novice keeping you from taking some important first steps in your life?
EXERCISE:
How can you more fully embrace a beginner’s mindset and appreciate your novice status on your journey toward greater personal mastery and excellence?
Image from Unsplash by Armand Khoury
Where are you still climbing the ladders of life? Where do you continue to learn, grow, and achieve new levels of excellence and mastery?
Where have you peaked in your personal and professional efforts? Where it is harder to keep up with your former self?
In what areas of your life have you noticed declines in physical or mental capacities, and how well are you doing navigating this descent?
Consider reading Brook’s book From Strength to Strength and pay particular attention to the concepts of fluid versus crystalized intelligence. These concepts were first described by Raymond Cattell in his 1971 book, Abilities: Structure, Growth, and Action.
I hope these resources offer you evidence and that we can all keep getting better in ways we may previously not have considered.
Image from Unsplash by Morgan David de Lossy
Golf has become one of the go-to sports given COVID-19 and our need for social distancing. Being in the fresh air and walking or riding in a golf cart solo allows players to enjoy natural beauty, be with friends, and engage in a game that can never quite be mastered.
I recently heard the story of a fan watching legendary golfer Hale Irwin practicing on the range following one of his many career wins, where he shared today’s quote. Clearly he was driven by the desire within most of us for the goal of continuous improvement and personal mastery.
Where can and will you continue to practice and apply your most committed efforts to take an aspect of your life from good to great?
Please share this intention with a coach or two who would be delighted to support your efforts to get better.
Image from Unsplash by Gary Tresize
One of my clients is a master fisherman. Last year, he kindly took me out on his boat to share his joy and the artistry of his passion. Over the course of our six-hour adventure, he coached me to catch a single fish – meanwhile, through his mastery of the skill, he brought in many.
Think of the times in your life you experienced a sense of flow, or a feeling of complete engagement.
Examine your personal and professional worlds for examples of times in which there is great satisfaction in the doing, and significant anticipation of upcoming activities.
Where and in what ways can you more fully engage your spirit in your personal and professional pursuits? How might this bring you a more beautiful and artistic life?
Are you a life-long learner?
Are you attracted to excellence and personal mastery?
Have you ever explored the biographies and life stories of acclaimed masters such as Benjamin Franklin, Charles Darwin, Leonardo DaVinci, Mozart, and Einstein?
If you have, you may have noticed common patterns and similarities among them. Most notably, they all dedicated their lives to the process of continual learning, growth, and contribution. Occasionally they had masterpiece moments that were recognized by others more than themselves.
My guess is that it was the many twists, turns, and efforts along their passionate journeys that made them so remarkable.
In what areas of your life are you most excited about and engaged in, being a work in progress?
What would personal mastery look like in these areas?
What steps can and will you take to make more of your life a masterpiece of living?
Consider reading Robert Greene’s 2012 best-selling book, Mastery, to explore this subject in greater detail.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
A favorite book I read this past year is Mastery, by Robert Green, which was actually published in 2012.
This well-researched book was no light read for me, and I found myself taking in only five to ten pages at a time to ingest and digest its contents.
Masters often engage in various apprenticeships and mentoring relationships with others more skilled or experienced than they. A significant take away-for me was that there is always a point where they must step out of the footsteps of their mentors to venture out on the own personal mastery journey.
Where is it time for you to step out of the tracks others have left, to make your own unique footprints in the world?
How many activities in the following list have you engaged in over the past year?
If at least one of these activities occurred this past year, how well did you do? How competent, skilled, or masterful were you? How much effort, struggle, or ease and flow did you experience?
Hazlitt’s quote points to the fact that when we are so focused on doing things correctly we often diminish our own ability to do things well because of our preoccupation with our potential to make mistakes.
How and on what activity might a more playful approach, without much thought about doing things perfectly, help you enjoy the process and perhaps do far better than you might have imagined?
Image from Flickr by Aftab Uzzaman
Here in Michigan, we joke about how we have only two seasons – winter and construction. There is rarely a straight line from Point A to Point B, and anywhere you go usually involves lots of orange barrels!
As you explore the way between Point A and Point B in your professional and personal projects, consider how you can proactively improve the road conditions by using the finest construction materials possible.
Consider increasing your personal mastery as a leader, manager, coach, and communicator to optimize your construction efforts.