Category Archives: Mastery

We never do anything well

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“We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner of doing it.”

—William Hazlitt, 19th Century British Social Commentator

Meme of today's quoteHow many activities in the following list have you engaged in over the past year?

  • Giving a speech or major presentation
  • Writing a book or significant article for publication
  • Interviewing for a new job or promotion
  • Playing golf, poker, or a game of chess
  • Building a piece of furniture or other handy-person activity

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.

EXERCISE:

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?

The Shortest Distance

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“The shortest distance between two points is under construction.”

—Noelie Altito, Poet

Image of orange construction cones on a curved road

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!

EXERCISE:

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.

I Want to Sing Like the Birds

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“I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying who listens or what they think.”

-Rumi, 13th Century Persian Poet

Image from Flickr by Matt Knoth

Image from Flickr by Matt Knoth

I am currently writing a chapter for a book on personal development and soul transformation with 30 other authors. My chapter covers the concept of Personal Mastery, which has been of interest to me my entire life. I’ve even developed my own coaching program I call Personal Excellence Training, to help others reach their next level of achievement.

One key to the personal mastery journey of virtually everyone I’ve studied is the bold and often courageous pursuit of authentic gifts, talents, and interests that make their hearts sing. Their efforts at self-expression were frequently met with considerable resistance and outright criticism from their peers and the general public.

Perhaps they were simply singing their own special tune, one that was ahead of its time, that many did not yet embrace or understand.

EXERCISE:

Where in your personal or professional pursuits is it time to be even bolder and courageous, voicing your special tune regardless of whether others listen, or what they think?

Your Own Wikipedia Page

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“Don’t stop until you have a Wikipedia page in your name.”

-Author Unknown

Image from wikipedia.org

Image from wikipedia.org

I am in the final stages of working on a chapter on Personal Mastery for a new book. Wikipedia is among the variety of resources I’ve used to research this topic.

Learning about the lives of current and past masters is so easy when all we have to do is enter a few keystrokes into a search engine.

Today’s quote, however, challenges us to examine our personal and professional journeys to see what significant or even remarkable progress we wish to make today and in the future.

EXERCISE:

As a playful experiment, write out a draft Wikipedia post on yourself for today, a year from now, and perhaps 5 to 10 years in the future.

What added content would you like other people to contribute to this open-source profile on you and your life?

“Do More Great Work!”

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“Do More Great Work!”

—Michael Bungay Stainer, Sr. Partner at Box of Crayons

Do-More-Great-Work-3d

QC #955

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am currently reading the book Mastery by Robert Greene, with great fascination. The subject of mastery has intrigued me all my life. This brilliant analysis includes stories of a wide variety of historic and current masters, and how their life journeys evolved.

Fundamental to the majority of these stories is a clear and authentic passion for the type of work or activity the subjects pursued. Each person tapped into their own gifts and unique abilities, and combined them with an unstoppable drive to pursue, develop, and contribute their talents to the world.

EXERCISE:

What does doing more great work mean to you? How can you do less bad work, or stop both the bad and even some good work, to make room for more great work in the year ahead?

Consider making the book Mastery a must read for 2016.

Another favorite I am sure you will enjoy is Do More Great Work by Michael Bungay Stainer, author of today’s quote.

You Cannot Master

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“Though you can love what you do not master, you cannot master what you do not love.”

—Mokokoma Mokhonoana, South African Philosopher and Social Critic

Photo from makesafetyfun.com

Photo from makesafetyfun.com

Generally, the people who experience the greatest success and fulfillment in their professional lives demonstrated three key factors:

  1. They are enthusiastic and passionate about their work. Many would engage in whatever it is they do even if the monetary rewards were more modest.
  2. Because they love what they do, they commit massive amounts of time to the practice, and eventual mastery, of the skills involved.
  3. The final piece that accompanies this love and mastery is often the value ascribed to it by the meritocracy in which we live, and the rewards we often receive. How much is it worth in dollars and cents?

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can doing more of what you love lead you toward a life of greater mastery and success? Consider reading one or more of these books, which speak in one form or another, to the spirit of today’s quote:

What to Do When it’s Your Turn by Seth Godin
Linchpin by Seth Godin
Happier  by Tal Ben-Shahar
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben

better than myself

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“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.”

– Mikhail Baryshnikov, Russian ballet dancer

Image from awanderingjewess.com

Image from awanderingjewess.com

If you have ever seen Mikhail Baryshnikov dance, you know just how brilliant he has been over the years. If you haven’t, I suggest you Google him and check out some video clips of his mastery.

Consider that your own life is a dance, where all that is required is to keep mastering your own professional and personal steps. These steps are within your control, and they allow you to express yourself fully and authentically.

Exercise:

During this new year, what will your personal continuous improvement program include?

As you establish your goals, include the measurable results and action steps you will take. How will you turn these action steps into sustainable habits that will get you there? Just think of it as dancing your way to a better you.