Being average at a lot is not going to reap the benefits you desire. I like to use this analogy: Imagine a light bulb, it can light up a room but that’s about it. Focus the same energy on one single spot and you can cut through iron. Hence the saying laser focus. This laser focus can only be reached if you choose one thing to master and become good at it. You’ll get more and more efficient at it and you will be able to make more impact. The most practical example of this is athletes.

But it is easier said than done, how do I find the skill I master? How long does it take to master a skill and what defines mastery? These are not the questions you should ask yourself as they won’t get you into the right mindset. And you’ll probably force yourself into something you dislike. Don’t get me wrong it’s okay to fail it’s part of life. But some directions can help you save valuable time.

What is mastery?

Examples of mastery of everywhere:

• Look at the paintings of famous painters
• Reading the books of famous writers
• Seeing your favorite athlete in action
• etc.

I think you get the point and these are very visible examples of mastery. It’s like finding your calling, seeing the light whatever you would like to call it. You do something and you just know that it is the right thing to do and the thing you are meant to do. Continuing on that path leads to mastery, it means always wanting to be better and never settling for anything other than the best. When you are in this state you will excel if you trust the process. Like I mention in this article: The secret to success.

Find your skill to master

I would like to use the word craft instead of skill because I see it that way. My craft is developing/coding, I love it, I nurture it, I take it very seriously. I did not look for it, it came on my path 4 years ago. I saw an opportunity and I grabbed it with both hands. That takes courage, which plays a very big role in this. Because that allows you to be honest to yourself: Do I like my current job? Imagine answering no to that question while having a mortgage and a newborn baby. Most of the people would say, well I have my bills to pay, just had a baby, and so on. I asked myself how do I make this work! Planned it out, discussed it with my wife, and made it happen.

Do I master it? No. This takes years and years of consistent dedication and hard work. Do I get better every day? Absolutely yes and it comes very easy to me as well because I love my craft. Don’t be fooled, because that wasn’t always the case that took a lot of time as well.

A lot of people think the skill you master is something you are already good at. It can be but most of the time, that is not the case, find something you love to do. How do you do that? Well, the only way is to go out there and try different things, talk to people in positions you think you’ll like, and ask them where to start!

Begin your journey to mastery

The other thing that will make you love your craft is the learning process, noticing the time and consistency makes you hungry for more and you’ll get better and better in your craft. Just let time and your love for the craft do its thing! You know you found your craft when you lose yourself in it, suddenly it’s hours later. Time flies that kinda stuff.

Don’t misinterpret these words with being comfortable, because it’s not it’s hard! That hunger helps you when you are tired, having a bad day, but still, get the work done! As soon as you start feeling comfortable start worrying! Because you are not growing anymore and you should check out why and regain that hunger! Get yourself in that uncomfortable place and start growing!

Why is it you need to master only one thing? If I would divert my attention to other skills. I would not have the time to for example read that book. Or take that video course to become better and learn something. And most importantly, spend time on it, the only way to mastery is time and consistency

Resistance, setbacks, and failure

We all have that voice in hour head that says:

“You can stop now, it’s already late, You are already good enough”

Or the other way around:

“You are stupid, You suck at this”

Don’t listen to those voices. It’s your brain trying to get comfortable, Read this article here about how to fight those voices: Callus the mind by David Goggins.

This is what I call the inner resistance, it’s sabotaging yourself. Another type of resistance you are going to face is from the outside world. And don’t be surprised, most of the time the people you care about the most, will try to talk you out of it. And that is hard because their intentions are honest. But that doesn’t mean they are right. So stay respectful and keep on taking actions towards mastery.

In the beginning, this can feel like a setback, people you care about not supporting you. Don’t worry they will get used to it. When you are on your journey to mastery you will face some setbacks. I call them reality checks. You’ll tend to go fast and think you are already skilled. When suddenly a real skilled person comes along and shows you how it’s done. You will feel small when that happens, but take advantage of that situation, try to learn from it. When you fail, see it as an opportunity to learn. Stop thinking about the concept of failing and succeeding. Think of getting better and failing is part of that.

Path to freedom

So how does mastery tie into freedom? First of all, you do what you love to do, so it will never feel like work. You have a purpose that makes you feel fulfilled. At a certain moment, you will become a master of your craft. Like I mentioned in the introduction: Laser Focus. The impact you make will be big and will feel like great accomplishments. Another advantage is, that people are always willing to pay for mastery. So there is financial freedom, you choose what and where you work on.

For example today someone dropped by today to fix my office chair. This guy has a whole business built around that. Fixing them, selling them, selling separate parts. That is a very good example of freedom in mastery. This guy’s craft is fixing office chairs and it is his own business so he decides what he does.

Conclusion

I believe there is no secret to mastery. It’s all very clear and sounds like nothing new. The hard part here is to listen to it, be courageous and dare to follow your light. As soon as that spark turns into a small fire you’ll be unstoppable on your path to freedom!