Years ago, I listened to an audio book that pushed me to cultivate a life-long action in my daily schedule.
When I first learned about Paul J. Myers, Founder of SMI, I was at an event that afforded me the opportunity to purchase every audio he put out. Each audio was about 30 minutes long and touched on a variety of success-related topics such as organization, communication, goal setting, time management, presentations, confidence and so much more.
There was one audio that really impacted me. It said, “If a person would study a particular subject for 30 minutes a day for one year, they would become an expert in that subject.”
That very moment is when I changed my thinking. I decided to study both SUCCES and RESULTS for an hour or more a day for the rest of my life.
It Is Amazing What Focus Can Do for Your Success.
If you focus on any subject – studying and practicing it over and over – you can become exceptional and truly master it. This principle is what has inspired my phrase “Living in Mastery.”
Most people want to live at the mastery level, but so few understand the principles behind it, like these:
- There is a level better than great. Many move from good to great and stop there, versus moving to mastery.
- Once you know mastery is possible, you then need to envision mastery. Few do.
How about you? - When you envision it, the last step is to study and practice with real focus long enough to get there.
Books, articles and a plethora of research all show that top performers study and practice their craft (their sweet spot) at a volume and intensity much greater than others. Again….How about you?
Then there is the 10,000 Hour Rule, which was made popular by Malcom Gladwell in his bestseller, “Outliers.” This is the idea that pretty much everyone who is exceptional at something has practiced a lot!!! Perhaps something like 10,000 hours.
Based on studies of elite performances, Gladwell contended that it’s “an extraordinarily consistent answer in an incredible number of fields…you need to have studied, practiced, and to have apprenticed, for 10,000 hours before you are on top.” There are always exceptions, of course, but it’s worth thinking about.
The point is simple. Mastery requires a huge investment of energy and time in order to be manifest.
Not all geniuses are born geniuses, many get there through effort. – Click to Tweet
Examples of Mastery
The Beatles:
The legendary rock and roll band formed in 1957 in Liverpool, England, seven years before they found huge success in America in 1964. Their opportunity to practice live came in Hamburg, Germany, which happened to import bands from Liverpool to play locally. They practiced for 7+ years at night in local pubs, before they became a hit.
Bill Gates:
Bill Gates was able to start coding as a teen since he attended a progressive Seattle high school. In his teenage years, he invested many hours using a college computer any chance he had – even in all hours of the night.
Michael Jordan:
“I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, I can expect half-hearted results.” Want to know how many hours he put in? Google it.
Kobe Bryant:
Look up how many hours he practiced!
More Interesting Thoughts
The Role of Deliberate Practice:
“Repeated application and use of knowledge over extended periods leads to remarkably good retention of the knowledge even after years or decades of disuse.”
Championship Competitors are Deliberate.
“The goal of deliberate practice is not really doing more of the same. Rather, it involves engaging with full concentration (focusing) in a special activity/topic to improve one’s performance.”
Deliberate practice is consistently correlated with a wide range of performance…including expert level performance.
What distinguishes expert performers is mostly (habit) more and better-organized knowledge, which has to be acquired.
Two Questions:
- How clear are you on reaching mastery?
- How focused are you when it comes to learning and practicing?
Years ago, I said to myself, “Tony, you have the discipline to master many subjects, NOT just one.” So for 30+ years now, I’ve studied and practiced many topics that most often align with my personal values, and I suggest you do that as well. In fact, I preach it.
A few of mine (subjects of interest) include:
- Organization
- Parenting
- Health
- Presenting (I call it Presentation Mastery™)
- Meetings
- Efficiency
- Effectiveness
- Connecting
- Goal setting
Today, I research, write and publish on all of these subjects under (you know) the moniker The RESULTS Guy™. I enjoy helping others win, getting the results they want, and often faster and quicker than they thought possible.
If you want to be exceptional and have exceptional RESULTS, then adopt this mentality:
Consistent Focused Practice and Learning Leads to Mastery. – Click to Tweet
The list is up to you: photography, graphic design, project management, marketing, coaching, leading, parenting, making money, basketball (any sport), travel…and of course, the list should include…Serving Others!
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