Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment

(Written as a speech based on the book) 

                Good Evening ladies and gentlemen. Tonight we will be going on a journey of self-mastery.  I would like each of you to imagine a time in your life when you tried something new, a new skill perhaps. Now try and remember how you progressed or improved in that skill?  Was it quickly, slowly or somewhere in-between?  Did you enjoy learning the new skill or did you just want to learn enough that you could use the skill but not necessarily master it? Or, did you quit because you couldn’t master it fast enough?

Our guide book for this evening will be George Leonard’s book “Mastery: The keys to success and long-term fulfillment” as our guide as we discover how to have travel effectively on the road to self-mastery. Mr. Leonard begins by trying to define mastery. He says, “It resists definition yet can be instantly recognized. It come in many varieties, yet follows certain unchanging laws. It brings rich rewards, yet is not really a goal or a destination but rather a process, a journey…It’s available to anyone who is willing to get on the path and stay on it – regardless of age, sex or previous experience.” (p5)

When children are first learning to walk they start with free standing. Once they master this step they try moving one foot. Often this end with the child falling down. But where did the child get the idea that they can or should stand on two feet and walk?  They had a teacher. That teacher was likely a parent or sibling whom they had watched over and over. The teacher did fall or trip and probably encouraged the child to try and walk.  Earlier this week I had the privilege of watching a friends child go through this very experience. Kaden isn’t quite one and had gotten confident standing while holding on to anything that is around him. He recently started letting go of the objects to try and stand on his own. With his mother close beside he did this over and over again. Each time he fell he would look to his mother for her approval, which she offered whole-heartedly, followed by words of encouragement to try again. The became a fun game and I am confident in the next few weeks I will get to see Kaden taking his first steps on his journey to becoming a master of walking on two feet!

There are some key things that Kaden did that we should all do on our own personal journeies to self-mastery. First he had a desire. He wanted to walk. Each of us must have a desire for the thing that we want to master. Personal convictions will provide you a good foundation for your journey. Second, Kaden observed. He watched the people around him walking on two feet and chose the one that would be the best teacher for him. He could have chosen his older sister Katie who loves him dearly, but she isn’t always home when he wants to practice his skills, the same is true of his dad. So he chose the one person that gives him the most support and has proven herself a worthy teacher, his mom. His mother Kim, holds his hands and helps him balance, she cheers him on when he tries on his own. She makes a game of the activity so that he wants to continue on. She encourages him to try again when he falls. Because of her support he will enjoy trying until he is ready to move forward. This time between steps is referred to as “the plateau” by Mr. Leonard. He explains, “Goals and contingencies…are important. But they exist in the future and the past…Practice, the path of mastery, exists only in the present…To love the plateau is to love the eternal now, to enjoy the inevitable spurts of progress and the fruits of accomplishment, then serenely to accept the new plateau that waits just beyond them.

Return now to my initial question about learning a new skill and how long it took you to master it.  Did you learn to enjoy practicing the new skill? Or were you so focused on the next level that you forgot to live in the present and perfect it?

When I was a child my greatest desire was to be a cosmetologist. I couldn’t wait to learn how to cut hair. My impatience got me and my friends several interesting “hair do’s” over the years but once I entered beauty school I really learned to love the process of how to become a stylist. I was fascinated by the chemistry of hair and how holding your hands this way or that could cause a person to have a great haircut or one of those “just give it two weeks” haircuts. I practiced constantly taking the clients no one else wanted, staying late for the customer that came it at closing and even meeting people outside of school. My teachers praised my accomplishments and in time introduced me to more technical cuts and colors. By the time I completed school I had mastered all I could there and it was time to find a new teacher that could take me to the next level. This required moving to the next plateau and enjoying that journey until it was time to make the next jump. Each plateau brought a new sense of focus and opportunity for mastery and each was essential for the next plateau.

In his book, Mr. Leonard discusses the five master keys. They are:

1.        Instruction.  He says, “There are some skills you can learn on your own, and some you can try to learn, but if you intend to take the journey of mastery, the best thing you can do is arrange for first-rate instruction.” (p55)  As we already discussed a good teacher makes all the difference, Kaden could have chosen someone else but he picked the best person for him, someone who was already a master.

2.       Practice. Practice is an action word. It requires effort and the effects are compounding. In our journey for mastery we need to think of practice as a noun. “not as something you do, but as something you have, something you are…The people we know as masters don’t devote themselves to their particular skill just to get better at it. The truth is, they love to practice – and because of this they get better.”  (p75) This was my experience learning to do hair, I loved to do it. I loved people who would just sit in a chair and let me do. I wasn’t trying to get better I just was enjoying the experience.

3.       Surrender. “This means surrendering to your teacher and the demands of your discipline. It also means surrendering your own hard-won proficiency from time to time in order to reach a higher or different level of proficiency.” (p81) When you first enter beauty school they spend a lot of time correcting hand positions and posture. At some point you just have to trust that what your teachers are doing is right, after all they are experts and you have agreed to be taught by them. This was hard for me at first as I had been cutting with scissors since kindergarten! But the technique for cutting hair is very different and is important if you are to avoid medical problems in the future.

4.       Intentionality. This key focuses on your ability to imagine yourself as a master and often employs self-talk and positivity. There have been countless studies done where a person is asked to repeat a positive self-talk mantra each day. At first it is ackward but as the individual continues they start to believe the words from the mantra and it begins to empower them. While on the journey of mastery you must be able to visual yourself as a master if you can’t your destructive thoughts will prevent you from achieving mastery. A close friend of mine was applying for a position that she felt was above her level of experience. She was convinced that she wasn’t qualified. The week leading up to the interview she used positive self talk/imagery to see herself as one who was worthy of a capable of the job. By the time she interviewed her view of herself had completely changed and she went into the interview empowered and impressed enough people that she was hired.

5.       The edge. “Playing the edge is a balancing act. It demands the awareness to know when you are pushing yourself beyond safe limits.”  Several years ago there was a news story about a woman who ran a marathon 8.5 months pregnant. Many people were horrified that she would run in such a state. In a post-race interview the woman said that she had run all of her life and that even pregnant she was in great shape. She consulted with her doctor throughout her training and was consistent in her training. A week later she gave birth to a healthy baby, no complications.

We have spent a good time tonight talking about the path to mastery and I have shared some experiences with you. Now I would like to take a minute and tell you some of the tools that will help you on your path.  Don’t go it alone. Find a support system, someone who will encourage you and cheer you on, but who will also hold you accountable. If this journey is important to you, make time for it. Don’t give up part way because the journey seem tough. Live a healthy lifestyle so you will have the energy necessary to persevere. Recognize pitfalls on your journey and don’t let them stop you. Find a rhythm that works for you. Our lives are all hectic but don’t allow chaos to rule you, take control of the crazy and the serene and let them work for you not against you. Finally, start your journey today. There is no better time than the present.

                As you begin your journey, may you remember these two things: Self-Mastery is a journey, a process, not a race and find joy along the way.  May your life be full and may your journey be filled with peace, renewal and progress as you become the master of your life.

So You Want to be an Entrepreneur

This has not been a great week for school. Too many tests/quizzes and not enough time to get everything done at a level that I expect of myself. This is one of the weeks where you wonder is it really worth it.  As of tonight the answer to that question is definitely up in the air.

LDS Perspectives
The LDS Perspectives really focused on self-mastery. As a high school student I couldn't function without getting straight "A's". In junior college I was a busy young adult and working full time and didn't put my full effort forward, especially in classes that didn't interest me.  For example, I absolutely hated attending sociology It was a lecture class and I often didn't go because I couldn't see how it benefited me personally. So I didn't. I attended on test days and required guest lecturer days and that was about it.  When I started the Pathway program I set a goal for myself to graduate from BYU with honors. I fought for each "A" I received.  This semester has been a challenge. I spend 30+ hours a week studying, doing assignments, discussion boards, etc and am really starting to struggle in a couple of my classes. In fact the ones that I should be excelling in as they are my stronger subjects.  I think this fits in with the whole Mastery concept that we have been studying this week. I need to re-evaluate and get back on the path to Self-Mastery. The hardest part is to figure out where I fell off so that it won't happen again.

E-Corner
The video this week talked about the importance of writing down your priorities and sticking to them. Doing this will help you not to compromise your values for your work.  Watching these really reminded me why I really don't want to be an entrepreneur that owns my own business. I can't separate who I am at work and who I am at home. Being able to do so is very important to me and more easily attained when I am working for someone else.

Mentor Session 2
After reading the chapter and starting the assignment I really didn't have time this week to complete it. Although having had this discussion with family and friends they pretty firmly believe that I would be successful in whatever I choose to do. They can see me both as a entrepreneur (owning my own business) and working in a professional business. Most of them agreed that I would be much happier working for someone else because as one said "I would obsess over my own business too much."

Personal Wealth
Most of this was the same information that was presented in Math 100 from Pathway. Funny that it also aligned with the finance project in FDREL 200.

Week 4: Mastery: Skill, Character or Luck

This week I started off really strong in all of my classes. In fact I was done with most of my assignments by Tuesday!  It should be a major accomplishment until you consider the assignments that I had no desire to do. Yes, they were for B183 but I will get to that in a moment.

Application Activities
This week seemed to focus a lot on the need for perseverance in anything we decide to do. While some skills come naturally others may not. It is those skills and areas that we must focus our greatest efforts if we desire success. President James E Faust taught, "Perseverance is demonstrated by those who keep going when the going gets tough, who don't give up even when others say, 'It can't be done.'" This week's e-corner videos taught that it is important to determine what our passion are. This is more important that how much money can be made. There is always money to be made but if we are not doing something that that we are passionate about we are not benefiting anyone, least of all ourselves. One of the things that stuck out this week was learning about God given callings. The steps to discovery involve considering what you love to do, what you were doing the last time you lost track of time and asking 5 people that know you well, "What do I do better than anyone?".  Using this information we can discover what our talents really are. Often they are things we do well and may take for granted.  Jeff Sandafer in A Hero's Journey - Living a Life of Meaning explained that, "What matters most is not the prize at the end but how the hero has changed in the process."  This life is a journey and it is all about who we become.  This applies to our personal, professional and spiritual journeys.

Case Study
Our case study this week was Spreading Happiness: Warm Fuzz Cards. It was the story of Erica Mills who started a pen and ink card company and had to decide what to do two years into her business when she and her husband decided they wanted to start a family. She enjoyed the slow growth while her husband felt that fast growth was a good option.Ultimately she needs to determine what her values really are and what she is and is not willing to sacrifice. Taking the time to consider this will direct her path.

So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur
This was the assignment that I had no desire to do. I believe that entrepreneurs exist in many facet throughout the business world. They can be found in corporate careers, small business, start ups, families and even in civic organizations. An entrepreneur is really someone who takes on a project and runs with it. They are in control of their decisions, choices and destiny. I think this book focuses too much on entrepreneurs who are interested in being owning their own business. This made it especially difficult to complete the Mentor assignment as I have no desire to be this kind of entrepreneur. I have been there and know for myself that this is not what I want. I wish that this class and major focused more on the broad definition and less on the specific idea of owning a business. There are many people at BYU-I that are majoring in Business Management with an emphasis in Entrepreneurial Management not because they want to own a business or be their own boss but because BYU-I lacks a comprehensive on-line business program. There are few options for those interested in business and this just happens to be the path that many of us opt to take. While there is some good introspection. I am not looking forward to other Mentor interviews that focus on this type of Entrepreneurial spirit. It is disappointing that we are asked to be broad in our concept of what an entrepreneur is but we are forced to do assignments that are single minded.  Needless to say, I completed this assignment but with great difficulty. The example in the book is from the prospective of someone considering a possible career as an entrepreneur. Her answers were unsure and full of trepidation, yet we are asked to answer in-depth as those this is our intended and chosen career path. That would be great as an end of course assignment or end of book assignment but not as the first assignment for this book. I felt that it was unfair and not an accurate representation of mirroring the book and fictional character, Jane.

Week 3 - A Life Well Lived

This week the learning has been focused realizing who I am as an individual.

We started the week by submitting our first book report, "The Start-up of You" by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha. The book focused on the importance of networks and nourishing relationships so they will be available to you when you need them.

We then started books two and three. Mastery and So You Want to be an Entrepreneur. At this point I don't think I will want to read another book once I am done with this course. Not that the books aren't interesting but between my four courses and being in the process of reading 3 different books right now they all start to meld together and I can't always remember if an idea came from this book or that book.

This week's readings included "How Will You Measure Your Life" by Clayton Christensen and "The Little Things" by Joseph B Wirthlin.  In both readings you are encouraged to think about your values and how the role that they play in your career decisions and more importantly in your work/life balance. If family is the most important thing then you can't spend all your time at the office and expect that your family will be happy and well adjusted. Elder Wirthlin taught that the little things really do matter, especially the relationships we have with others and with God.  We must take the time to develop these relationships so they become what we need them to become.

Our e-videos this week were very inspirational their emphasis was on determining what we love to do what we are born to do, and what our priorities are. If we can figure these out then we are well on our way to finding a career that will be fulfilling.

I am a little concerned about the mentor exercises because there hasn't been much information provided about the kind of mentor we should look for. Should it be someone who knows us well, someone in a field that we are interested in, etc.

Exercise and Healthy Eating

Like several others I am pretty excited about this Unit.  I seem to go through spurts of being really active and eating really well. Up until a week ago I was biking at least 4 miles 4-5 times a week. I can tell the difference. Also, I have been horrible about meal planning since moving to ID, we have spent way too much time eating out.

My goal is to exercise at least 3 times each week for a minimum of 30 minutes.  Also I will plan out dinners for my family for the next two weeks making sure to include at least 1 fruit and 1 vegetable. This also means that we will not eat out for any dinners for the next 14 days.

I hope to record the meal plan in my "journal" so that I can refer back to it for future planning. 

Week 2 - Honesty and Business Ethics

This week seems to be flying by!  I have just a couple of chapters left in "The Start-up of You" by Reid Hoffmn and Ben Casnocha.  This has been a very interesting book that really focuses on the importance of networking and how networking has evolved.  My favorite chapters this week discussed how Benjamin Franklin networked way back when. He would invite intellectuals over once a week to discuss ideas.  It has been interesting to think about my own network and if all those in it are the right kind of people and I can best maintain relationships with them.

This weeks e-corner videos weren't my favorite.  In "10 Things You Must Have to Start a Business", the information was good but some of it did seem a little outdated. It was hard to know when the speaker was being facetious and when he was being serious.  I think this may be because his experience was so industry specific that it was hard to relate some of the information to general business.   I did like the "Risks in Business" because it talked about what it takes to be successful. The most important thing I got out of the video is that you need to have skin in the game otherwise, it is too easy to walk away or not care about the success of the business.

I thought the LDS Perspectives tied in very well to the topic. They stressed the importance of remembering that God should come before money and success. This will help us be successful and happy in our endeavors. We also need to remember to be people of integrity and let that be a guiding trait in our business and in those we hire.

Our case study this week was the story of Magdalena Yesil, a Turkish woman who decided at a young age that she wanted to come to America to study technology and engineering. She helped start up many ventures and was very successful. This story reminded me of the need for home/life balance. She had a multi-generational household that allowed her to spend a lot of time on her work. The majority of Americans do not have this - and yet we still allow work to monopolize out time. This can be a detriment to the family. We must see balance in all aspects of our life if we are to be truly happy.