10 Principles of Mastery — Become Highly Skilled and In Demand

“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.” ~ Robert Greene

Now that we have more free time to finally master a skill, where has the motivation gone? Maybe you created a list of things you could do, during this stay-at-home social distancing. However, now that over a month has passed, has your list been neglected? I understand. During stressful times, it’s hard to focus. Our bodies are flooded with stress hormones that make us pull back in, to keep ourselves safe. We feel tired and afraid to start anything new. That’s why I think it’s time to redirect our focus. And the principles of mastery will help us do that.

Firstly, I encourage you to get outside for a walk, dust off your dreams, turn down the noise from the news, and focus on the one thing you really want to master. Take a notebook with you and jot down ideas as they come to you. When you find a spot to sit, create a checklist of all the things about the subject you already know, and then the things you want to know.

A book that has really helped me is Mastery by Robert Greene. After studying the lives of numerous influential figures, he learned that our culture has many myths about genius that need to be debunked, and he distilled the wisdom of the ages, revealing the secret to greatness in his book.

This seminal text unlocked my passion and I’m sure it will help you, too! Here are just a few of the Principles of Mastery you can glean from his book…

1. Mastery results after first acquiring a deeply intimate knowledge of yourself — who you truly are and what your purpose in life is.

2. Mastery comes from humbly recognizing the masters in your field and asking those leaders for help. With the Internet, it’s easy to learn from them. Make a commitment to follow one or two leaders and consume everything they produce. Pull one helpful insight from each piece and incorporate it into your life. Be willing to invest time and money into trainings they offer.

3. Mastery mindfully acknowledges and moves toward resistance and discomfort. So be open to expanding your comfort zone to a place that helps you to grow, not one that keeps you small.

4. Mastery demands that you become disciplined, bold, confident, and willing to test your new skills and see how they connect the Parts of yourself. Your past doesn’t hold you back; it’s the springboard to becoming your best self in the future.

5. Mastery embraces negative and positive feedback from others and from our own bodies. Every “mistake” is an opportunity for growth and learning, never a reason to berate and criticize yourself.  

6. Mastery turns head knowledge into heart knowledge. Intellect will only get you so far. It’s your mastery over the emotional aspect that helps you see our interdependence and you’ll be able to connect with others on an empathic, compassionate, intimate level.  

7. Mastery focuses on observation, not judgment.  This keeps you from making snap decisions based on first impressions…no jumping to conclusions or imputing harmful motives to innocent actions and comments. You learn to avoid projecting your own thoughts, emotions, or insecurities onto others.

8. Mastery results from emotional maturity. We can be interdependent, seeing ourselves as others see us, while not being emotionally dependent for approval or self-value based on what other people think. Their thoughts, emotional responses, and actions belong to them. We can accept helpful nuggets from them and improve ourselves, and we can let the rest go.

9. Mastery thrives on curiosity and imagination. Our childlike sense of wonder stimulates our creativity, as we become life-long learners. It keeps us open and receptive to new ideas that challenge the status quo.

10. Mastery lets your work speak for itself. Trust yourself and your processes. Second-guessing yourself isn’t helpful or necessary.

How will you put these Principles of Mastery into practice in your life? I’d love to hear about it on my Facebook page. One way we can all fight this virus is to refuse to let it stop us, despite our changed circumstances. Would you like some accountability in your quest for mastery? I’d love to partner with you. Please contact me and schedule an “Unlocking Your Potential” 30-minute complimentary consultation by phone or via Skype.