Mastery

Separation of thought and actions

We think about our physical actions, animals do not experience this division. When we learn a new skill, this separation becomes even more apparent. We have to think about the individual actions involved. The steps we must follow. We’re aware of the slowness and how our bodies respond in an awkward way.

• Notes: When you get good at a skill, the division between thought and actions become blurred. However a pitfall arises where you’re less inclined to learn as you’re on autopilot.

Don’t think these thoughts

Don’t think that mastery will come quickly, or that it only comes to talented people. Anyone can cultivate mastery, given enough time to cultivate and become closer to the source.

Children and learning

If we feel like we know something, our minds close off to other possibilities.

Such feelings of superiority are often unconscious and stems from a fear of the unknown. We are rarely aware of this.

Children are generally free of these handicaps, they depend on adults for their survival and naturally feel inferior. This gives them a hunger to learn, so they can bridge the gap. Their minds are completely open and they pay great attention. This is why children can learn so quickly and deeply. Unlike other animals, we retain mental and physical traits of immaturity.

• Notes: Intense focus & the belief that you have a lot more to learn provides the fertile grounds required to learn

Humans want to take the easiest route

This is the path of amateurs. To attain mastery, you must adopt resistance practice. Go in the opposite direction of all of your natural tendencies. Resist the temptation to be nice to yourself, become your own worst critic and see weak points precisely in areas where you’re not good at.

Those are the areas you give precedence to. You find a perverse pleasure in moving past that pain. Resist the allure of easing up on your focus, train yourself to concentrate in practice with double the intensity, as if it were the real thing times two.

In devising your routines you become as creative as possible, you invent exercises that work on your weaknesses, you give yourself arbitrary deadlines to meet certain standards, constantly pushing yourself past perceived limits. In this way you develop your own standards for excellence, generally higher than those of others.

In the end your 5 hours of intense focused work are the equivalent of 10 for most people. Soon enough you will see the result of such practice.

• Notes: find pleasure in moving past pain. Resist the natural tendencies to be unfocused. Set deadlines. In the end 1 hour of focus for you is equal to 3 for others.

Failure

There are two kinds of failure, the first comes from never trying your idea because you’re afraid or waiting for the perfect time. This type of failure you can never learn from and such timidity will destroy you.

The second comes from a bold and venturesome spirit. If you fail in this way, the hit that you take to your reputation is greatly outweighed by what you learn. Repeated failure will toughen your spirit, and show you with absolute clarity, how things must be done.

• Notes: Timidity will destroy you. Embody a bold and venturesome spirit. If you fail, the reputation loss will be greatly outweighed by what you learn. Repeated failure will strengthen your spirit.