Do you desire to get better at something that matters to you?
Do you have the intense longing to deliberately increase your productivity levels in leaps and bounds?
Do you want to be a difference maker in your sphere of influence?
Is it even possible to predictably achieve the results you seek?
Years ago, I would have sworn that mastery only came to the fortunate few who were born with certain genetic advantages or talents that gave them the edge in whatever field of endeavor they found themselves in.
If I had thought in this way, I would have been very wrong.
You see, back then, I had no idea of what I wanted to do with my life. I was purposeless, directionless and clueless about my future.
But today, I’m taking very deliberate steps towards the attainment of my God-given purpose and destiny. I’m not where I want to be just yet, but I’ve definitely left where I was.
So, do you want to learn how to attain mastery in the fulfillment of your own dreams and purpose?
Let’s dive into some ideas I gleaned from the tutelage of American-born business strategist, Robert Greene, in his bestselling book Mastery…
Look Inwards to Develop Mastery
“The first move towards Mastery is always inward – learning who you really are and reconnecting with that innate force. Knowing with clarity, you will find your way to the proper career path and everything else will fall into place. It is never too late to start this process” – Robert Greene
A lot of people are going to lead mediocre lives because they do not take the time to look inwards. Their minds are in a constant state of mental clutter and they are totally alienated from the Primal Life Force that God has deposited within them from the time they were born.
If you fail to look inwards with an attitude of reflection and introspection, you are setting yourself up for failure in life. This is why there’s so much power in meditation. When you meditate, you are able to temporarily silence the mental clutter persistently fluttering in your mind and you’re able to focus on what matters. Perhaps this is one reason why a lot of people subconsciously run away from meditation. They are subconsciously afraid of what they might find when they look inwards.
Here’s the truth, if you can take it: If you want to make impact on the world outside, you need to start from within.
Check the annals of history and hardly would you find anybody that made impact in this life without some form of inward observation.
I remember reading a biography of Albert Einstein and I was amazed by the sheer amount of meditation and introspection that he did. In fact, he engaged in so many thought experiments that it’s only normal for him to later come up with his theories of special relativity and general relativity – two theories that have greatly shaped our understanding of how the world operates, nearly 100 years after they were postulated.
If only you’d take the time to observe within through reflection, introspection and meditation, you’d give yourself an unfair advantage in a world where everybody is merely existing, not living.
Celebrate the Daily Routine to Pursue Mastery
“In order to master a field, you must love the subject and feel a profound connection to it. Your interest must transcend the field itself and border on the religious” – Robert Greene
Success in life is not for dabblers. Once you have identified the area in life you want to dominate, you need to go all into it with every ounce of strength you have got. You need to be obsessed with your vocation. You need to do it to the point that people start complaining that “Your own is too much”. The truth is that talent is overrated. What would really make you stand out is your ability to consistently focus and ability to show up everyday.
Many people are familiar with Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers” where he talked about the 10,000 rule. He found out that gurus of different niches were not more talented that the rest of us. Rather, by sheer obsessive repetition of their life assignments, they were much better than others.
Tend to Your Destination to See the Fruits of Mastery
“In dealing with your career and its inevitable changes, you must think in the following way: You are not tied to a particular position; your loyalty is not to a career or a company. You are committed to your Life’s Task, to giving it full expression. It is up to you to find it and guide it correctly. It is not up to others to protect or help you. You are on your own. Change is inevitable, particularly in such a revolutionary moment as ours. Since you are on your own, it is up to you to foresee the changes going on right now in your profession. You must adapt your Life’s Task to these circumstances. You do not hold on to past ways of doing things, because that will ensure you will fall behind and suffer for it. You are flexible and always looking to adapt.” – Robert Greene
It is expedient for you to take personal responsibility for your life. No one is going to think for you. No one is going to direct you. No one is going to be your constant go-to counselor. As I love saying, “It’s only you, your two ears and the Holy Spirit within you”.
This is why it is necessary for you to be aggressively attached to your vision, purpose and destiny and do everything in your power to fulfill it. Do not be sentimental with people you may meet along the line. Instead, embrace the process with the realization that nothing is permanent. When it’s time to move on, pick the lessons you gleaned from your current stage and move to the next level with the same attitude.
A Biblical example that comes to mind is Jonathan, David’s friend.
Jonathan knew that God had rejected his father, King Saul, and had selected David. In fact, Jonathan had practically told David that David will be king (1 Samuel 23:17) while he was going to be his second in command.
However, Jonathan refused to leave Saul and adapt to signs of the times. The result? Jonathan died like an animal with his father in battle (1 Samuel 31:1-2).
There is a season for everything under the sun. Stay sensitive to the signs of the times. The last place you want to be is in a place that you are stagnated.
Focus on Your Weaknesses to Manifest Mastery
“Your Life’s Task does not always appear to you through some grand or promising inclination. It can appear in the guise of your deficiencies, making you focus on the one or two things that you are inevitably good at. Working at these skills, you learn the value of discipline and see the rewards you get from your efforts. Like a lotus flower, your skills will expand outward from a center of strength and confidence. Do not envy those who seem to be naturally gifted; it is often a curse, as such types rarely learn the value of diligence and focus, and they pay for this later in life. This strategy applies as well to any setbacks and difficulties we may experience. In such moments, it is generally wise to stick to the few things we know and do well, and to reestablish our confidence” – Robert Greene
Many times, we think that we will find your purpose and destiny in our area of strength.
That’s usually not true. In fact, I am a living witness.
Many of you are aware of my book “You Too Can Be Free”. I didn’t write that book from a position of strength. Rather porn addiction was the weakness that pushed me to find solutions. And once I found solutions that worked, I shared them with people in their thousands.
The truth is that any problem or pain you are experiencing right now could be a pointer to problems that God has called you to solve. Many people would not want to talk about the problem, because it might be embarrassing (like porn addiction in my example). Yet, your choice to channel your energies on finding a solution to that problem converts you to a resource person that adds value to the world.
Stay Sensitive to Overlaps to Find Mastery
“The future in science does not lie in increased specialization, but rather in the combining and cross-fertilization of knowledge in various fields.” – Robert Greene
This one really hit home!
One way to stand out and attain mastery (not just in science but in any field) is to be able to combine knowledge from different fields. Learn more about this in my post, How Good Ideas Are Created With Remarkable Predictability
In any case, I’ve written blog posts where I applied knowledge from Chemistry and Quantum Physics to explain real life situations. This is because I’ve conditioned my mind to see every field as somehow interrelated.
To stand out, you have to be able to use different mental models, philosophies or worldviews to make sense of the situation. This is also called the Lollapalooza effect (This is a term that Charlie Munger beautifully coined to explain this concept!)
The ability to do this makes you more valuable to the world and you’re able to stand out more easily.
Believe me, I’ve seen this skill work in my life and in the life of others.
Some years ago, I applied for a job. During the interview, I demonstrated my possession of “seemingly unrelated” skills that my employer saw valuable. In his mind, he was thinking, “Why should I employ two people when a single individual has the skills of two different people.” Right there and then, the dynamics of the interview changed and we were taking as though I already had the job. I walked out of that office with the job!
No knowledge is a waste. However, it is your responsibility to find out new applications and combinations that would turn all the knowledge you’ve accumulated into value to your sphere of influence.
